Oldham Athletic 2-1 Manchester City: Premier League champions suffer shock defeat after late Grounds strike
Roque Santa Cruz had levelled for Roberto Mancini's side following
Robbie Simpson's early opener, but the League One side struck at the
death to snatch victory
This certainly was not a performance to strike fear into the hearts of their Premier League rivals, as Manchester City suffered a surprise 2-1 defeat at the hands of spirited League One side Oldham Athletic at Boundary Park on Tuesday evening.
It’s certainly not the result the club, or
its fans, would have envisaged on their first outing on home soil since
being crowned champions back in May. But realistically it was never
truly about the result, or indeed the quality of the performance.
The
match was necessary to service the fitness of several key first-team
players returning after their involvement in the European Championships.
In that sense, it was a successful exercise as a fit Latics team made
City work throughout, taking the lead through Robbie Simpson after five
minutes before Roque Santa Cruz equalised in the second half.
Roberto
Mancini did not arrive back in England with the rest of the squad from
their latest pre-season tour match in Malaysia until 10am on the morning
of this game and the City boss was not with the team at Boundary Park.
Instead,
Italian coach Attilio Lombardo led the side, which included England
internationals Joe Hart, Joleon Lescott and James Milner, while
Frenchmen Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy, as well as Netherlands midfielder
Nigel de Jong, who was selected as captain for the night, also lined
up.
Another international, Santa Cruz, who has endured a torrid
time with injuries at City since a £17.5million move from Blackburn
Rovers in 2009, almost salvaged a draw. The Paraguayan spent last season
on loan at Spanish side Real Betis and has not played a competitive
match for the Blues since November 2010. Despite his goal, that
statistic remains unlikely to change.
Despite City’s considerable
experience and 3,000 travelling fans seeking to revel in their status
as newly-crowned champions, Oldham started much the quicker of the teams
and had a lead within five minutes. Latics talisman Robbie Simpson
found space between City defenders Ryan McGivern and Joleon Lescott
before poking the ball past Joe Hart. The home supporters gleefully
responded: “Who are yer?”
City edged back into the game with
several half-chances. On 12 minutes, Croatian teenager Mario Jelavic
steered a shot wide from 12 yards, but it was when Nasri was on the ball
that City looked positive and dangerous. Milner flashed a shot wide
after 20 minutes, then Nasri himself fired an attempt over the bar.
Jelavic struck a post five minutes before the break, but other than that
Oldham goalkeeper Alex Cisak was not made to work.
It was
expected that City might make wholesale changes at half-time, but the
line-up remained the same for the start of the second half as the away
side sought to fast-track their squad latecomers to fitness. That
persistence was rewarded after 53 minutes when Santa Cruz pounced after play pin-balled around in the Oldham area. He rounded Cisak with ease and coolly equalised.
Hart,
Milner, Nasri and Clichy eventually made way for younger team-mates
after 65 minutes, while Lescott followed them three minutes later. De
Jong, who has been in training longer than his fellow internationals,
managed 82 minutes.
The game looked as though it was petering out, but from a corner in injury time Oldham defender Jonathan Grounds
swung his boot at the ball inside the area and secured a late victory
for the home side. City now have two games – against Wolfsburg and
Limerick – to ensure sharpness before heading to Villa Park to face
Chelsea in the Community Shield on 12 August.
Source : Goal.com
