Avro 2 AFC Blackpool 1: Oldham club have the edge in friendly

From the very start the Oldham side looked to get in behind AFC and Fran Donaghy was forced into an early clearance.

AFC had the first chance when one of two starting trialists volleyed just over from Conah Bishop’s low cross.

Blackpool then had a goal ruled out when Billy McKenna took the ball from Ben Roberts in an offside position.

It was the hosts who took the lead on 16 minutes, when midfielder Joe Rathbone picked up a loose ball and drove low into the bottom corner.

AFC looked to grab an equaliser, but despite some eye-catching passing football they just lacked all-important final pass.

The last chance of the first half fell to an AFC trialist, who headed over from Jamie Thomas’ cross.

A couple of AFC’s half-time substitutes almost linked up early in the second half but Joe Robinson’s testing ball for Corey Harrison was turned away for a corner.

AFC equalised on the hour through sub Harrison, who made no mistake when Thomas’ free-kick fell to him in the box.

It didn’t take long for the home side to restore their lead.

Liam Ellis made a smart run through the middle of AFC’s defence before rounding Alex Cameron to tap the ball into the empty net.

The last chance of the game for AFC came when McKenna won the ball back in the Avro box and squared it to Harrison, but the winger was stretching and poked his shot wide.

Blackpool: Cameron, Bishop, Trialist A, Donaghy, Dawson, Sumner, Thomas, Trialist B, Buchan, Roberts, McKenna. Subs: Cassidy, Charnley, Aspinall, Trialist C, Harrison.