A deep dive into Oldham Athletic's first season back in the EFL

Image credit: EFL

Oldham Athletic won the National League play-off final last season at Wembley Stadium, beating Southend United in extra-time. The Latics returned to the Football League for the first time since 2022. A three-year stint in the National League ended in glory at Wembley, as Oldham were back in the EFL.

A rocky start from Micky Mellon's side saw them winless in their first eight matches of the season in all competitions, but they ended their poor opening run by winning three matches in a row. Cambridge United, Bromley and Cheltenham Town were all beaten by Oldham, who were looking up the table.

The League Two outfit beat Northampton Town in the first round of the FA Cup, and drew MK Dons in the second round. However, the Dons were victorious on the day and booked their spot in the next round.

The Latics are currently sitting 14th in the table, with 27 points. They are eight points away from Chesterfield, who are seventh and occupy the final play-off spot at the moment.

Manager Micky Mellon's son, Michael, signed for Oldham on loan in the summer from Premier League outfit Burnley.

Michael, aged 22, has scored 10 goals in all competitions this season, which includes a hat-trick in the FA Cup first round. Mellon, who has represented Scotland's under-21s, has scored four goals in his last two matches, with his last appearance seeing him score another hat-trick, which was against Tranmere Rovers.

With the Greater Manchester club out of the EFL Trophy and the FA Cup, their only focus now is on the league campaign.

The festive period sees clubs play numerous matches in a short period of time, as the Latics get ready to play three matches in seven days. Two of their three upcoming opponents are currently in the play-off spots or higher, as Walsall (1st) and Chesterfield (7th) face the Latics in the coming weeks.

Following those two games, Oldham then face Bromley and Notts County, who are third and fourth in the table respectively.

With an extremely tough set of fixtures ahead, it could prove to be a statement month for Micky Mellon's men, who could shoot up the table with crucial wins against high-flying opponents.