IT’S seven games without a win for Hartlepool United – and on this showing their next victory is as far away as ever.
They were rolled over by a confident Oldham side at Boundary Park, as the visitors put up little resistance and offered even less in attack.
Pool had Scott Flinders making his return from injury in goal but he was beaten in seven minutes.
Oldham’s loan striker from Sunderland, Oumare Tounkara peeled into space off the defence and his low shot was kept out by Flinders. But the ball spun away for Aidan White to slot home.
Pool boss Mick Wadsworth, back at one of his former clubs, saw his side waste a chance of an equaliser.
Andy Monkhouse swung over an inviting left-wing cross, but no-one in an orange shirt was alert to react to either the first cross or the other when defender Neal Trotman passed the ball back across his own six-yard area.
But Oldham were brighter in possession than Pool, as they passed the ball around through midfield to leave Pool chasing the game and the opposition.
They nearly made it 2-0 as Tounkara saw his shot saved by Flinders. This time, however, when possession fell to the scorer White he tapped his shot against the far post and central defender Peter Hartley smashed the loose ball away from goal.
As half-time approached, Pool, to their credit, did come more into things and they could easily have been celebrating a 40th minute equaliser. Evan Horwood’s right-sided corner was met by Sam Collins, but the skipper headed wide from close range.
Five minutes into the second-half it was same again, this time Collins’ header was saved.
Pool, however, soon handed the game to Oldham as they gifted the hosts a second.
Peter Hartley’s header only played in Filipe Morais and from an angle, Neil Austin cleared off the line, only for Chris Taylor to latch onto the loose ball and make no mistake.
Off went the ineffective Ryan Donaldson and James Brown, with Ritchie Humphreys and Leon McSweeney replacing the pair.
But they were looking on from afar as their side went three goals down on 70 minutes, full-back Cedric Evina blasting into the far corner of the net from 25 yards.
And in injury time, Reuben Reid compounded their misery, heading in from six yards.
OLDHAM: Amos, Lee, Hazell, Trotman, Evina; White (Feeney 78), Furman, Stephens, Morais (Jones 88); Taylor, Tounkara (Reid 71). Subs (not used): Brill (gk), Todd, Black, Winchester.
Goals: White, Taylor, Evina, Reid
Booked: Morais
HARTLEPOOL UNITED: Flinders; Austin, Collins, Hartley, Horwood; Brown (McSweeney 63), Murray, Sweeney, Liddle, Monkhouse; Donaldson (Humphreys 63). Subs (not used): Gamble, Boyd, Yantorno, Haslam, Rafferty (gk).
Booked: Murray, Liddle, Austin
Referee: Paul Tierney (Lancashire)
Attendance: 3,056
