Town 1 Oldham 4
Town: Anyon, Jacobson, McAllister (Summerfield, 81), Taylor, Wildig, Mkandawire (c) (Jones, 7), Goldson, Woods, Reach, Burke (Parry, 81), Main.
Unused Subs: Weale, McQuade.
Goals: Burke (45)
Oldham Athletic: Oxley, Grounds, Tarkowski, Schmeltz, Smith (c), Rooney, Rodgers (Mellor, 71), Lanzoni, Mills, Rusnak (Millar, 78), Philliskirk (Clarke-Harris, 78).
Unused Subs: Wesolowski, Dayton.
Goals: Philliskirk (10, 26), Rooney (42), Schmeltz (75)
Referee: Mr. S. Stockbridge
Assistants: Mr. W. Barratt & Mr. N Radford.
Fourth official: Mr. M. Amphlett
Attendance: 1,748 (186)
Town suffered a heavy 4-1 defeat in the JPT first round at the hands of a slick Oldham side at the Greenhous Meadow despite Graham Burke notching his first goal in a Town shirt in first-half stoppage time to give the home side hope of progression after three earlier Latics goals.
It was a nightmare start for the Town as captain Tamika Mkandawire limped off with hamstring trouble after just five minutes, being replaced by Darren Jones and the Latics punished the unsettled Shrews on just ten minutes to reward their dominant opening.
Anton Rodgers went close with a deflected shot that Anyon saved well, but when Philliskirk was presented with similar space on the edge of the box moments later, he curled the ball around Anyon into the corner.
Joe Anyon did well to deny the Latics a second on 21 minutes, saving well from a low Joseph Mills free kick after Jones’ clumsy foul on the edge of the area.
Middlesbrough loanee Curtis Main was presented with a guilt-edge opportunity to level matters four minutes later when a poor Jonathan Grounds passback was intercepted by the striker, but keeper Mark Oxley reacted well to block the shot.
And Town were punished for the miss just a minute later as Oldham double their lead. The Shrews defence failed to clear a Mills cross and Philliskirk notched his second, inadvertently shinning the ball past Anyon and into the corner.
Town rallied late in the half in a bid to get back on level terms, Jon Taylor stinging the hands of Oxley from all of 30-yards on 38 minutes, then Adam Reach firing just over the bar three minutes later.
But it was the Latics who went extended their advantage to three on the counter just minutes before the break, Rooney heading home a perfectly weighted cross.
Wildig brought the best out of Oxley a minute before the break, before Aston Villa loanee Burke offered no such opportunity for the Oldham stopper, smashing an unstoppable effort home on the stroke of half-time to give Town a lifeline.
HT: Town 1-3 Oldham Athletic
The home side came out brightly in the second-half, but Mills almost killed the game off on 49 minutes when he hit the inside of Anyon’s near post following a partially cleared corner.
Town continued to press but lacked the cutting edge to create more than a handful of half-chances and Oldham instead added a fourth 15 minutes from time. Pacey dutch winger Sidney Schmeltz robbed Ryan Woods of possession on the byline before turning infield and firing underneath Anyon.
The visitors should’ve added further gloss to the score-line, but substitute Jonson Clarke-Harris inexplicably fired wired from six-yards on 82 minutes as it ended 4-1 in an unusually flat Town performance of late.
FT: Town 1-4 Oldham