Oldham Preview

Wycombe Wanderers travel to Oldham Athletic on Saturday for their 36th league game of the season.


The League table currently shows Oldham in 19th place with 36 points from 33 games, while the Chairboys occupy 23rd spot with 29 points from 35 games.

Oldham's home record is.........Won 5, Drawn 5, Lost 6.
Wycombe's away record is.......Won 2, Drawn 6, Lost 9.


Both sides have averaged exactly one point per game since the turn of the year, but while a continuation of that form would be enough to give Oldham 49 points at the end of the season, it would leave Wycombe with only 40 and mean certain relegation.

With only 33 points still up for grabs, the Chairboys are likely to require another 20 to avoid the drop and that means winning games, something they have managed only 6 times in 35 attempts so far this season.

Last Saturday's tedious draw at home to Carlisle United prompted Wycombe boss Gary Waddock to say: "That might be the point that keeps us up at the end of the season," but despite his understandable need to maintain a positive outlook, he must know that without winning 6 of their final 11 games, his side have little hope of survival.

This weekend's game has to be one of the Chairboys' best chances of collecting all three points. Their improved defence has kept 3 clean sheets in their last 4 outings and will be facing an Oldham side who are the division's lowest goal-scorers and have just lost the services of two of their strikers.

Jason Price returned to his parent club Millwall after the Latics' draw with Exeter last Saturday, and fellow loanee Daniel Nardiello has been ruled out for several games with a hamstring injury picked up during their victory over Orient on Tuesday.

With the 8th best record in the division, Oldham's defence have only conceded 39 league goals all season, but no one in Wycombe colours will object to a scrappy 1-0 win if that's what it takes.

Gareth Ainsworth is available again following suspension and will presumably come straight back into the side, given the fact that Wycombe have won every game in which he's featured this season.

Two other contenders for a recall are Stuart Beavon who injected some rare quality into the Carlisle game during his brief substitute appearance, and Kevin Betsy whose recent good form makes his exclusion from last Saturday's squad difficult to comprehend.


Oldham's last five games (All Competitions)

LG1: Colchester (A).......Lost 1-0
LG1: Leeds (A)..............Lost 2-0
LG1: Norwich (H)...........Lost 1-0
LG1: Exeter (A)...........Drew 1-1
LG1: Orient (H).............Won 2-0


Wycombe's last five games (All Competitions)

LG1: Brentford (A) .........Drew 1-1
LG1: Millwall (H)...............Won 1-0
LG1: Southampton (H).....Drew 0-0
LG1: Stockport (A)............Lost 4-3
LG1: Carlisle (H).............Drew 0-0


Oldham Goal Stats (36 games in all Competitions)

Goals Scored (Total).........28
Goals Conceded (Total).....44

Goals Scored (Home)........15
Goals Conceded (Home)....20

Clean Sheets....11


Wycombe Goal Stats (39 games in all Competitions)

Goals Scored (Total).........42
Goals Conceded (Total).....73

Goals Scored (Away)........20
Goals Conceded (Away)....38

Clean Sheets....5


Oldham's Top Goal Scorers (All Competitions)

Pawel Abbott............9 (inc 2 pens)
Deane Smalley.........2
Keigan Parker..........2
Reuben Hazell..........2
Danny Whitaker.......2

Eleven other Oldham players have each scored 1 goal.


Wycombe's Top Goal Scorers (All Competitions)

Jon-Paul Pittman.........9 (inc 1 pen)
Matt Harrold...............9 (inc 5 pens)
Scott Davies...............4
Matt Phillips................3
Stuart Beavon............2
Kevin Betsy................2
Chris Westwood..........2
Chris Zebroski............2

Eight other Wycombe players have each scored 1 goal.


Oldham Shooting (Top-3)

Pawel Abbott.........37 on-target...30 off-target...1 against woodwork
Danny Whitaker....17 on-target...24 off-target...0 against woodwork
Dean Furman........12 on-target...15 off-target...0 against woodwork


Wycombe Shooting (Top-3)

Jon-Paul Pittman.....30 on-target...20 off-target...1 against woodwork
Scott Davies...........19 on-target...24 off-target...4 against woodwork
Matt Phillips............19 on-target...20 off-target...2 against woodwork


Shooting (Club)

Oldham.....144 on target..154 off target..9 against woodwork (Rank-22)
Wycombe..182 on target..159 off target..9 against woodwork (Rank-16)


League Form Guide

All Season
Oldham......Pld: 33...W: 9...D: 9.....L: 15...Pts: 36...Pts per game: 1.09
Wycombe...Pld: 35...W: 6...D: 11...L: 18...Pts: 29...Pts per game: 0.83


Since 1st January 2010
Oldham......Pld: 11...W: 3...D: 2...L: 6...Pts: 11...Pts per game: 1.00
Wycombe...Pld: 11...W: 2...D: 5...L: 4...Pts: 11...Pts per game: 1.00


Against Top Half Opposition
Oldham...........Pld: 18....Pts: 12....Pts per game: 0.67....(Rank-21)
Wycombe........Pld: 19....Pts: 17....Pts per game: 0.89....(Rank-15)


Against Bottom Half Opposition
Oldham...........Pld: 15....Pts: 24....Pts per game: 1.60....(Rank-13)
Wycombe........Pld: 16....Pts: 12....Pts per game: 0.75....(Rank-24)


Last Five league Games
Oldham............LLLDW - 4 points
Wycombe........DWDLD - 6 points


Last Five League Games (Home)
Oldham...........DLWLW - 7 points


Last Five League Games (Away)
Wycombe........DDWDL - 6 points



Previous Meetings

In 15 previous meetings there have been 7 wins for Wycombe, 3 for Oldham and 5 draws.

At Boundary Park there have been 3 wins for Wycombe, 2 for Oldham and 2 draws.

1997/98 LG1: Oldham 0 Wycombe 1
1998/99 LG1: Oldham 0 Wycombe 0
1999/00 LG1: Oldham 2 Wycombe 2
2000/01 LG1: Oldham 2 Wycombe 0
2001/02 LG1: Oldham 2 Wycombe 0
2002/03 LG1: Oldham 0 Wycombe 2
2003/04 LG1: Oldham 2 Wycombe 3



The Man In The Middle

Saturday's referee is Eddie Ilderton from Tyne & Wear who joined the National List of Referees in 2002. His most recent Wycombe game was a 2-0 win at Chester City in August 2004. So far this season he's issued 73 yellow and 4 red cards in 27 games.


Prediction

Draw

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