Oldham Athletic manager reflects on FA Cup loss at Newport
Micky Mellon put Oldham Athletic’s FA Cup exit at the hands of Newport County down to a combination of poor passing and missed opportunities.
The Latics boss was particularly disappointed with their first half performance in what he felt was a flat first round encounter, which ended in a 2-0 defeat against the League Two club.
Oldham trailed 1-0 at the break, with Shane McLoughlin supplying a far post finish in the 20th minute.
It was not an insurmountable lead, but Newport goalkeeper Nick Townsend saved a Joe Nuttall header and Alex Reid half volley to lay the platform for McLoughlin to kill the tie off in the 80th minute.
“I’m really disappointed,” said Mellon.
“Even though I thought we had the better chances in the game I didn’t think we passed the ball well enough, right from the start. We gave the ball away too cheaply.
“I think the game as a whole from both teams probably lacked a bit of passion, considering it was the FA Cup, so it was a wee bit of a flat encounter and we gave away a really cheap goal. We keep speaking about it, we can only just keep working on it.
“I’m disappointed for us and the travelling supporters, because we wanted to do well and to look like we were bouncing forward as a team.
“There was so much disappointing about the first half. The second half we huffed and puffed and looked a little bit better.
“We had a couple of opportunities to change the course of the game. (James) Norwood gets down the side and could maybe do better because he’s a quality player, and Reid’s unlucky with an opportunity and Hallam (Hope) might be disappointed with one at the back post. I don’t remember them having many chances in that second half.
“The keeper’s made a good save from a header from Nuttall. But I think it was a bit huff and puffy, it’s not what we want to be seeing from an Oldham team, we want to see more.”
Mellon added: “If we keep giving away that first goal and you’re not clinical when you get the opportunities you’re going to make it difficult for yourself. But what I was most disappointed with was the passing. I thought that we never strung any passes together really until about 10 minutes before half-time and then we looked like we were progressing up the pitch and looking a bit threatening.
“It never enabled us to put a real dent in them, although I keep saying I think we had some good chances.
“I know they’re ifs, buts and maybes but they’re the opportunities you’ve got to take if you’re going to give yourself any kind of momentum going on from that.
“It was a very flat game on the whole I think, considering it was the FA Cup.
“I don’t think either of the teams covered themselves in massive glory. But certainly we were disappointed with our performance.”
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