Oldham Trip A 'Kick Up The Backside'?

Last updated : 01 August 2009 By Boro Mad

Gareth Southgate: "In a sense I'm glad because we've got a bit of a kick up the backside.

"We needed that because everything has gone quite smoothly for us so far.

"I think last night was a bit of a wake up call for a few.

"We were beaten to too many tackles and our body language wasn't right at times.

"We had no goals against us in the first three (pre-season] games when we played very well and our attitude was spot on.

"We'd set ourselves a standard and we did not reach that level last night.

"But we've got to reach that standard Saturday, midweek, Saturday, midweek right through the season.

"We've got to go win, win, win.

"If this was a league game we've come away with a point having gone
behind early on. So, in a sense I'm pleased with the response, but then having gone 2-1 up you've got to see the game through."

Boro had gone 270 pre-season minutes without conceding a goal but it took less than six minutes for Oldham to unlock the Boro defence at Boundary Park .

Midfielder Chris Taylor played a neat one-two with Pawel Abbott before scoring with an assured finish into the left-hand corner of keeper Danny Coyne's net.

Boro pulled level on 58 minutes. Rhys Williams was the first to react to a loose ball with a header into the net.

Ten minutes later Boro went in front – again from a corner. Johnson drove an outswinger with his left foot and sub Robert Huth made an excellent connection to head in from 10 yards.

However, the lead was short-lived and Oldham levelled on 70 minutes through Keigan Parker 

BORO PRE-SEASON FIXTURES

MACCLESFIELD 0 BORO 3 (Arca pen, Emnes, Franks)
(1st half) Coyne, Hoyte, Huth, Williams, Grounds, Yeates, Walker, Digard, Cronesberry, Aliadiere, Martin. (2nd half) Coyne, McMahon, Bates, Hines, Johnson, Smallwood, O'Neil, Arca, Porritt, Emnes, Franks.

DUMBARTON 0 BORO 5 (O'Neil, Dunlop og, Aliadiere pen, Johnson, Williams)
Jones (Coyne 46), Hoyte (McMahon 72), Bates (Wheater 72), Huth (Hines 72), Grounds (Taylor 72), O'Neil (J Johnson 72), Arca (Capt) (Williams 72), Digard (Walker 29), Yeates (A Johnson 65), Aliadiere (Franks 46), Emnes (Porritt 63).

CARLISLE 0 BORO 2 (Johnson, Williams)
Jones (Coyne 60),McMahon,Taylor (Williams 72),Bates(Walker 24),Huth,Wheater (Hines 60),O'Neil,Arca(Hoyte 60) 60),Franks,Yeates (Porritt 72),A Johnson (Martin 84)

OLDHAM 2 BORO 2 (Williams, Huth)
Coyne; Williams, Wheater (Huth 64), Hines, A Taylor; Hoyte (McMahon 64), Walker (Yeates 54), Arca (Smallwood 79), A Johnson (Martin78); Aliadiere(J Johnson 78) Franks (Porritt 78) Substitutes (not used): Ripley