Oldham Athletic 4 FC Halifax Town 0: Shaymen blown away in Latics storm and short-change fans as hosts warm up for semi-final date with York City in style

That was back in February 2024, after the Latics chief had rowed from the Canary Islands to Antigua during a 64-day solo expedition.

Rothwell navigated some choppy seas during that adventure, although it’s fair to say that Oldham and FC Halifax Town’s journey away from the top four divisions has been rather more fraught over a longer period of time.

Choppy was certainly the word for the visitors’ evening here as the season ended after being blown away amid an Oldham storm.

Latics are approaching the end of their third season outside of the EFL. Founded in 2008, FC Halifax have yet to dip their toes into league waters; the West Yorkshire town has not had a football league representative since 2002.

On a late spring evening, both these proud clubs separated by a handful of junctions on the M62 were eyeing some sunshine again.

Unfortunately, it only shone on those resplendent in the packed home sections, particularly in a Rochdale Road end awash with blue and tangerine during an opening quarter when the choke was on those from Yorkshire as Lancastrians smelt blood and won battles galore to book another date with White Rose opponents next Tuesday in York City in an eliminator semi-final at the LNER Community Stadium - at a fair rate of knots.

So resolute on their travels in the regular season and seemingly hard to beat - Halifax’s shellshocked players made a total mockery of that fact in an opening quarter of the game in which they were totally overwhelmed by a ravenous home side who feasted on the visitors’ uncertainties, when the game plan of the Shaymen would have been the other way around.

Three goals arrived in a torrid opening 12 minute power-play - Joe Garner, Mark Kitching and ex-Halifax man Mike Fondop all heading home with embarrassing ease and the tie was as good as over.

A pumped-up Boundary Park crowd, a rewind to salad days for Latics followers in the era of Royle, Palmer, Ritchie and Barlow et al when many a visiting side were battered, lapped it up.

A big 1,800 Shaymen away presence - more than the club’s average home attendance in 2024-25 - were understandably sullen given what they witnessed from the off on their side’s big night.

In a game which was a reminder of what Halifax are fighting for and a doff of the cap to their potential, given the numbers who attended, those in visiting jerseys froze at a ground which has gone by the moniker of Ice Station Zebra for many years.

Chris Millington felt his side were victims of circumstance with things transpiring against them in league and cup defeats at Boundary Park already this term - a 2-0 loss in March and a 4-2 FA Cup reverse in the autumn.

Here, there were the one worst enemies as their famed backline, boasting the best defensive statistics on the road in the regular season, were all over the place.

After an early warning ,four minutes were on the clock when Tom Pett’s corner found the unmarked Garner, who headed home with glee.

Barnsley loanee Vimal Yoganathan, who caused carnage in the opening 20 minutes alongside several others, went close to a second when his rising shot was tipped over by returning Shaymen captain Sam Johnson, but he was soon picking the ball out of his net again.

Again, it was a cheap concession. Pett’s free-kick was headed across goal by Fondop and Kitching nodded in close to the goalline.

It got worse. On 12 minutes, Fondop found space to power home another free header following Joe Pritchard’s centre from the right; his 18th goal of a handsome season.

Oldham were in dreamland and those with Halifax connections were less amused, especially Millington. His plans in shreds, he made two tactical changes just 16 minutes in with Pugh and Jack Jenkins replaced by Adam Adetoro and Zak Emmerson.

Mercifully, there was no further damage by the interval, although Manny Monthe did hit the post after Halifax again crumbled under a high ball and abrogated responsibility.

The gloss arrived in the second half when Pritchard fired home the best goal of the night, a cracking drive following nice work by Yoganathan as Oldham forgot they were a side who hadn’t previously posted back-to-back wins since February.

Home keeper Hudson made his first save to deny Emmerson – the clock was on 74 minutes, which said everything.

Oldham Athletic: Hudson; Ogle, Raglan, Monthe (Sutton 77); Yoganathan (Conlon 56), Evans (Rossiter 67), Pett, Pritchard (Lundstram 88); Kitching, Garner (Norwood 57), Fondop. Substitutes unused: Donaghy, Uchegbulam.

FC Halifax Town: Johnson; Emmanuel, Senior, Galvin; Tarima (Nkrumah 57), Jenkins (Adetoro 16), Pugh (Emmerson 16), Cappello; Cooke, Hoti, Thomas (High 64). Substitutes unused: Ford, Eze, Sutcliffe.

Attendance: 10,862.