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The Unofficial Daily On-line e-zine for  252 Oldham Athletic Supporters Worldwide
 
Today's Edition for
 
    13th March 2002 
The logo's are used with the permission of Oldham Athletic Football Club
 Oldham Evening Chronicle (www.oldham-chronicle.co.uk) Rachubka in line for Latics return GOALKEEPER Paul Rachubka could be heading back to Boundary Park after Gary Kelly was struck by another injury setback. Kelly is expected to miss the remainder of the season after rupturing ankle ligaments in training. The extent of the Kelly’s injury was only discovered after a detailed examination by medical staff. It is a massive blow for the veteran, who was forced to sit out the mid part of the campaign because of a knee problem. Athletic have David Miskelly as back-up, but he has 90 minutes to convince Wadsworth that he should keep goal against Cardiff City in Saturday’s promotion clash. The Northern Ireland under-21 international will get the nod if he proves his fitness in tonight’s reserve-team match at Sheffield United. But Wadsworth is already making contingency plans to bring in another ‘keeper — and Rachubka is expected to be high on his list. The Manchester United youngster did an excellent job in Kelly’s absence, and Athletic were keen to sign him after three months on loan. United were willing to sell the England youth international for around £300,000 but his agent said he was unsure about dropping to division two. Athletic would have to sort out a permanent deal for Rachubka if he was return to Boundary Park. His earlier loan spell precludes Athletic from bring him back on similar terms. Miskelly is facing a race against time to get the all- clear. He has been rushed back quicker than anticipated following a lengthy injury lay-off. Monday’s reserve-team appearance against Manchester United in the Manchester Senior Cup was Miskelly’s first match since dislocating his shoulder against Stoke in November in his one and only first-team appearance of the season. Wadsworth will be monitoring Miskelly’s progress before deciding whether he is ready to be plunged into the first team. Meanwhile, striker Alistair Hazleton gets another chance to impress Wadsworth when he turns out for the reserves at Bramall Lane. The trialist from QPR featured in last Monday’s 2-1 defeat of United. Two other trialists, defenders Marcel Nugent and Graham Gartland, are also in the 16-man squad. Receives (from): Miskelly, Nugent, Hardy, Jones, Gartland, Gill, Smith, Hazleton, Dudley, Vernon, Carss, Madin, Whittle, Doran, Boshell, Haining. 
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 Official Oldham Athletic Web Site (www.oldhamathletic.co.uk)Content from the Oldham Athletic Web Site is used with permission of Oldham Athletic Football Club LATICS RESERVES IN ACTION AGAIN TONIGHT

Following Monday night's Manchester Senior Cup Victory over Man Utd, the Latics reserve team are in action again tonight as they travel to take on Sheffield Utd at Bramall Lane with a 7:00pm kick-off. David Miskelly is again included in the squad as he continues his comeback from injury along with a number of trialist's currently with the squad and a number of players who will be pressing for a recall to the 1st team. trialist's Marcel Nugent and Alistair Heselton who both featured on Monday are again in the squad and are joined by Graham Gartland and Lee Madin who has returned to the club for a second trial after spending time with Preston North End. SQUAD David Miskelly
Marcel Nugent - Triallist
Lee Hardy
Paul Jones
Graham Gartland - Triallist
Wayne Gill
Ben Smith
Alistair Heselton - Triallist
Craig Dudley
Scott Vernon
Tony Carss
Lee Madin - Triallist
Tom Whittle
Joe Doran
Danny Boshell
Will Haining
 

FORMER FAVOURITE LINED UP FOR RETURN

The official website has just learned news of a possible return to Boundary Park of a former fans favourite. Latics Chief Executive Alan Hardy today informed us that former Latics goalkeeper Andy Goram is set to return to the club tomorrow morning for discussions on a possible short term contract that would ease the current goalkeeping crisis. Goram was born in Bury on April 13 1964. He joined Latics as a teenager on 1st July 1981 and stayed here for 7 years until the end of the 1988 season, winning the first of his 43 caps for Scotland in that spell..  After leaving Latics in 1988, Goram went on to play for Hibernian, Rangers, Motherwell, Man Utd and most recently Coventry City and was recently named Rangers Greatest Goalkeeper in a world-wide poll to find the Club's best ever players. There can be no higher acclaim than to be the fans' choice and Goram had few rivals when it came to shutting out the opposition.

 TEAMtalk (www.teamtalk.co.uk) Season KO for stopper 
Veteran keeper Gary Kelly has been ruled out for the rest of the season after his ankle injury was confirmed as ruptured ligaments. The 34-year-old went over on an ankle in a training session earlier this week and the damage is worse than expected, with ruptured ligaments being diagnosed. Kelly will now have the joint immobilised and put in plaster and it will be four to five weeks before it comes off. Kelly's absence leaves boss Mick Wadsworth with just David Miskelly, who has been rushed back from injury as cover in the keeper department. The Northern Ireland Under-21 stopper played his first game since October last year in a reserve-team outing on Monday night. The Latics beat Manchester United's second-string 2-1 with Miskelly being beaten from the penalty spot. Miskelly badly dislocated his shoulder at Stoke City in November and needed an operation in January to tighten the tendons. The Kelly setback could not have come at a worse time, with The Latics needing to take as many points as possible from the last seven games to stand any chance of making the play-offs.

Wadsworth to make loan move 
Mick Wadsworth is now looking to bring in a keeper on loan to ease the crisis at the club and admits the situation presents him with "a dilemma".  Wadsworth admitted: "It is a dilemma. I want to give David Miskelly a chance because I need to know how good he is. "It is not an ideal situation, even if David goes into the side we will still need cover just in case he is injured. "We have some massive games coming up before the end of the season and we can hardly take the risk of going into them with just one keeper." Miskelly has played just the one game this season and with Kelly previously being in top form and hardly ever injured his first-team chances have been limited. In fact, the 22-year-old has more international caps than appearances for The Latics. He was called in Northern Ireland's full squad earlier this season but missed out because of his injury. Another option for Wadsworth is to go back for Manchester United's Paul Rachubka, who had an impressive three months on loan at Boundary Park after Kelly aggravated an old knee injury. The club's agreed a £300,000 fee to make the move permanent, but 20-year-old Rachubka decided to take his chances with The Reds.

Reserves to face Blades The Latics reserves are back in action tonight as they take on Sheffield United at Bramall Lane in the Avon Insurance League Premier Division. David Miskelly will play in goal for his second game in three days. Trialists Marcel Nugent (QPR), Graham Gartland (Barnsley) and Alistair Hezelton (QPR) will be given another chance to impress whilst 18-year-old Bolton midfielder Lee Madin will also be given a opportunity. The Latics recorded their best victory of the season when the two teams met earlier in the season - they won 4-2 at Boundary Park. Latics from: Miskelly, Nugent, Hardy, Jones, Gartland, Gill, Smith, Hezelton, Dudley, Vernon, Carss, Madin, Boshell, Doran, Haining and Whittle.Boss in new signing pledge Lennie Lawrence says he is confident of bringing in a new signing before Saturday's trip to Oldham, with a keeper thought to be the target. The game against The Latics is a crucial play-off encounter and Lawrence said: "I expect to have news before we make that trip." The need for cover in the goalkeeping department has grown due to a cartilage injury to Lee Kendall, sustained on his first match on loan at League of Wales side Haverfordwest. Wolves keeper Matt Murray and Liverpool's Matthew Parry have both been mentioned as possible targets.

 Official Sheffield United web site (www.sufc.co.uk) 
Can United go top?

United Reserves can go top of the Avon Insurance League with a victory at Bramall Lane on Wednesday evening. Terry Cooke is named in the squad along with Academy striker Lewis Killeen, who has scored three goals in as many games. Oldham Athletic are the visitors to the Lane for a 7pm kick-off on Wednesday and coach Keith Curle names a total of three trialist's - Frenchman Jean-Phillippe Javary, Scottish defender David MacNamee and Manchester City winger Cooke. Lee Sandford, Shane Nicholson and Bobby Ford are also included to boost their match fitness ahead of Saturday's first team clash with West Bromwich Albion. Full reserve squad to face Oldham: de Vogt, McNamee, Nicholson, Sandford, Croissant, Montgomery, Cooke, Javary, Smith, Killeen, Ford, Doane, Mallon, Cryan, T. Thompson, Ward, Colvin, Burley.

 Sporting Life Tuesday review (www.sportinglife.com) SEAGULLS CLOSE GAP Brighton closed the gap on Division Two leaders Reading to two points with a 2-0 defeat of Northampton. Bobby Zamora's 37th-minute goal - the 29th of the season for the division's top marksman - gave the south coast side an interval lead. And Simon Morgan's first goal for Albion - a scrambled 59th-minute effort - made sure they took all three points from the Withdean Stadium clash against a side battling to avoid relegation.Brentford's bid to keep in touch with The Seagulls came unstuck as they were forced to settle for a goalless draw with Chesterfield at Griffin Park - they are now four points behind their prommotion rivals.

Huddersfield moved up a place to fifth with a 4-2 victory in an entertaining clash with Wycombe at Adams Park. Leon Knight (28) and Kevin Gray (36) gave the visitors a 2-0 victory but Steve Brown (51) and Darren Currie (86) brought the scores level. However, Knight's second goal of the night and Kenny Irons' last-gasp goal gave The Terriers a victory which further boosts their hopes of returning to Division One at the first attempt.

In the night's other Division Two game, mid-table rivals Blackpool and Tranmere drew 1-1 at Bloomfield Road. John Murphy's 12th-minute header gave Blackpool the lead but Simon Haworth's 57th-minute equaliser, following an excellent through-ball from Jason Koumas, earned Dave Watson's side a point.
Team P Home Away Pts Goal
Diff
W D L F A W D L F A
Reading  39 12 4 4 32 16 10 5 4 26 17 75 25
Brighton  39 15 3 1 36 12 5 10 5 18 25 73 17
Brentford  39 14 4 1 42 11 6 5 9 26 28 69 29
Stoke  39 12 4 3 38 12 7 6 7 22 24 67 24
Huddersfield  38 11 5 3 29 16 7 7 5 27 22 66 18
Bristol City  38 12 4 4 32 17 7 4 7 24 20 65 19
Oldham  39 12 5 2 41 17 4 8 8 27 34 61 17
Cardiff  38 9 8 3 33 22 7 5 6 23 22 61 12
Tranmere  38 10 7 2 35 13 5 6 8 20 31 58 11
QPR  39 9 9 2 31 16 6 4 9 20 25 58 10
Wycombe  39 11 4 5 34 24 4 7 8 17 30 56 -3
Wigan  39 7 6 7 30 20 6 8 5 25 23 53 12
Port Vale  39 10 5 5 34 23 5 3 11 14 30 53 -5
Swindon  39 9 5 5 23 18 4 6 10 18 32 50 -9
Blackpool  39 5 9 5 26 27 6 5 9 26 34 47 -9
Chesterfield  38 7 3 8 30 28 4 10 6 16 21 46 -3
Colchester  39 8 5 6 29 25 4 5 11 26 42 46 -12
Peterborough  38 8 5 6 37 23 4 4 11 15 27 45 2
Bury  39 5 8 7 22 28 5 2 12 15 36 40 -27
Bournemouth  38 8 3 8 30 26 1 8 10 19 34 38 -11
Northampton  39 6 3 10 19 29 5 2 13 24 41 38 -27
Notts County  39 4 7 8 21 28 5 3 12 26 35 37 -16
Wrexham  39 5 6 9 21 30 4 3 12 24 46 36 -31
Cambridge Utd  38 5 7 7 22 29 0 3 16 12 48 25 -43

Contributions and letters should be sent to Gary Davies by e-mail at LaticsGary@ntlworld.comor at Boundary Bullet-zine,41 Verney Road,Royton,Oldham,United Kingdom.OL2 6AZ07786 928689Or in the Setons Chaddy end Row R Seats 67 & 68Boundary Bullet-zine Archive can be found at http://www.oocities.org/laticsgary.geo.Boundary Bullet-zine Message Board can be found at http://boards.rivals.net/default.asp?sid=939&p=16&forumid=5973The views expressed on this e-zine are not the views of Oldham Athletic F.C. nor necessarily the views of the Editor.This e-zine is a unofficial publication NOT sanctioned by Oldham Athletic Football Club.The editor will not publish any letters containing bad language.This e-zine is written using Microsoft Outlook Express and is best viewed with the HTML (rich) text option enabled.