Oldham Athletic battle from behind to return to Football League in match against Southend
Oldham Athletic have returned to the football league after a nail-biting three two win against Southend United at Wembley.
The Latics came from behind twice to equalise, the first with a penalty in the second half, before scoring twice late into extra time to secure the win in front of more than 50,000 fans.
The victory means Oldham return to the League 2 in the EFL after being relegated for the first time in their history three years ago.
It follows three 'dark decades' which saw them drop down the divisions from the Premier League, and ultimately relegated to non-league in 2022.
But it marks a remarkable turnaround in fortunes for the team under new owner, local business man Frank Rothwell, who took over the club in the summer of 2022.
Around 21,000 Oldham fans made the trip to Wembley for their first visit to the national stadium in more than 30 years, since their FA Cup semi-final clash with Manchester United in 1994.
Oldham twice came from behind in front of a record crowd of 52,115 to grasp the win.
Substitutes James Norwood and Kian Harratt scored within the space of two minutes after Leon Chambers-Parillon had restored Southend's lead just seconds into extra time.
An early own-goal from Manny Monthe had given the Shrimpers the lead, but was cancelled out by Joe Garner's penalty after Monthe had been brought down in the area.
Oldham boss Micky Mellon unsurprisingly named the same starting XI which won 3-0 against York in the semi-final, only to see his side concede their first goal of the play-offs with just four minutes on the clock.
Gus Scott-Morriss pounced on a loose pass in midfield and chipped the ball into the area for Charley Kendall to chase and his presence was enough to pressure the unfortunate Monthe to loft the ball over his own goalkeeper.
Garner came close to an equaliser when his header from Tom Pett's corner came back off the post and Oldham felt they should have had a penalty when Mike Fondop went down in the area under a challenge from Harry Taylor.
Taylor did not appear to get much of the ball but referee Elliot Bell waved away the appeals and the Oldham fans suffered more frustration in the last minute of the half as Fondop missed a golden chance to equalise.
A defensive clearance was charged down and left Fondop through on goal, but after clipping the ball over goalkeeper Nick Hayes he could only look on as it drifted agonisingly wide of the post.
It took less than a minute of the second half for Oldham to finally get back on level terms, Garner calmly scoring from the penalty spot after Monthe had been brought down in the area.
Neither side was able to find a winner in normal time but Southend regained the lead just seconds into extra-time, goalkeeper Mathew Hudson parrying a deflected cross from Scott-Morriss straight on to the head of substitute Chambers-Parillon to head into the empty net.
Oldham refused to throw in the towel and Norwood got them back on level terms for the second time when he latched on to a long ball through the middle and took a deft touch around Hayes before slotting the ball into an empty net.
And just two minutes later Oldham grabbed the winner as Harratt's curling cross evaded everyone in the area before nestling into the far corner to send the Latics fans wild.
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