Yes, I know, I am back quick - but then I live 5 miles away....

First time I've seen us play this season, and I was impressed. We looked well-organised, well-motivated, and far too good for what was in all honesty a very poor Oldham side.

They had just the better of the first few minutes but Pools looked solid in defence and there was only one alarm when Parker got clear - but Flinders came out quickly and closed down the angle well to put him off. Pools started to get forward more, and it was a cracking finish from Brown to put us ahead. The second had a somewhat unreal feeling, deep cross in from the left, McSweeney got his head to it but it looked like it might have hit the side netting until he started to celebrate! Hard to tell as we were the far end of the pitch, but it looked like it might have gone through the keeper's hands.... from then on it looked like game over.

Oldham's lack of creativity was only highlighted by their decision to bring on a big lump up front at the break, they looked a little more lively for ten minutes but Pools weathered the storm and looked to break to good effect. Behan's free kick was spot on, and didn't he enjoy coming to celebrate in front of us! You got the impression that at that point if you'd offered the Oldham players the chance to finish the game there and then and just accept the 3-0 defeat they'd have done it like a shot...

Turner's subs were more about protecting the likes of Brown and Jones than anything, but Pools continued to fight for the ball and had chances to add more - another free kick from Behan went close, and Larkin should have done better with just the keeper to beat, giving him a fairly easy save. Oldham seemed to almost give up challenging for the ball in the Pools half, and other than them hitting the post towards the end rarely looked like they might score and certainly didn't have the belief that they could make a game of it.

MOM - several to choose from, I'd go for Liddle though, his reading of the game was right on the money.

Very little to complain about to be honest - the defence did well as a unit, we dominated the midfield, and did enough up front to score three. There will be much tougher tests than this, but this was an efficient, workmanlike performance with plenty of commitment and enough skill to suggest that we should at least hold our own in this league if not do a bit better than that.

Oldham however looked like a side in deep trouble. Defensively frail, keeper (Dean Brill!!) reaching the point of the fans cheering when he caught a ball, outgunned in midfield and very little imagination going forward.

A condescending pat on the head to the drummer at the back of the stand, it was quite funny because with the way the sound echoed you could barely make out what the Oldham fans (occasionally) sang for the loud "Thump... Thump.... Thump..." It was quite sweet in a way how he seemed determined to try and interrupt the Poolies singing (to little effect), as if he thought it might actually make a difference to how Pools played. Well done little drummer boy, we were so affected by you that we even failed to offer the usual suggestion of where you might put said drum....

Really good report - Glad that Behan got a goal, another away clean sheet so all in all - excellent. Lets hope we can build on an excellent away result with a home win next week... Well Done Pools

cheers alby..onwards n upwards...