[Lord Snooty]

August 2:

On this date in 2014, 450 Town fans crossed the Pennines to watch the team, still led by Mark Robins take on Oldham Athletic in a pre season friendly, one week before the season was due to start with a home game against AFC Bournemouth.

It didn't go well!

The previous season had been dire, but an unlikely 4-1 win at Watford on the last day of the campaign had given us some sense of (false) hope. This match at Boundary Park didn't drive optimism any higher.

The Latics, a former Premier League club who now are in the National League, were in League One then, whilst we were still a Championship club. They had Town legend Paul Rachubka in goal and we had that other penalty saving hero Alex Smithies.

Town were already a goal down when Smithies got to face another penalty and in true style, he saved it, from Jonson Clarke-Harris. But Liam Kelly (not the one who played for Reading in 2017) netted the rebound.

So Oldham, led by that little toss pot Lee Johnson, were two up at half time. Robins responded by bringing on Tommy Smith and Danny Ward and the move improved our chances. On loan Tree Stump Radoslaw Majewski, found Nahki Wells and he fired past Rachubka to make it 2-1.

But it was Clarke-Harris, who has troubled us since with his height at set pieces for the Pish, scored a 25 yard thuunderbastard past Smithies into the top bins.

Robins response to going 3-1 down? Bring on Murray Wallace and Jake Carroll.