Karl Robinson challenges Salford to take promotion fight to final day

Karl Robinson hopes to take Salford’s promotion push to the final day of the season after calling their 2-1 win at Oldham “probably the biggest” of his tenure.

Victory left the Ammies just a point and a place outside the League Two automatic promotion places with two games to go.

First-half goals from Adebola Oluwo, who scored in the fourth minute, and Daniel Udoh, who struck in the fourth minute of stoppage time, earned the visitors the three points at Boundary Park, with the Latics suffering a third defeat on the spin.

“Probably one of the biggest wins I’ve had since I’ve been here,” said Salford head coach Robinson, whose side missed out on the play-offs last season by just one point.

“We’ve got to hope now that we can put our front foot forward and get another three points on Thursday to hopefully take it to the last game of the season.

“I thought we were brilliant in the first half, the way we moved the ball and how efficient we were.

“I thought we could have been a lot clearer and even in the second we had two of the best chances and all of a sudden we let them back in and then we’re holding on in some ways.

“I thought Ade Oluwo was insane. But this team, we’ve now broken the record with the FA Cup, we’ve broken the most amount of points ever in the EFL, we’ve been the highest we’ve been – we’ve been second this year – and our points tally is amazing, and we’re still not done.”

In contrast Oldham’s push for the play-offs is officially over.

It would have been a long shot anyway, starting the game seven points adrift of seventh place, but defeat – only their second at home since the turn of the year – killed off any last shred of hope.

Nevertheless, they showed they were still prepared to fight, with Josh Hawkes halving the deficit with a clever chip over goalkeeper Matty Young in the 61st minute.

The winger was unlucky not to equalise as Oldham kept battling in spite of an extensive injury list, which Mike Fondop now looks to join after limping off.

“We are down to the bare bones,” said manager Micky Mellon.

“In the first half we weren’t really competitive enough, without being second best, but we gave away two very cheap goals.

“Second half we came out and were miles better, competed a lot more and gave a right good go at it.

“We got the goal to make it 2-1, but then couldn’t force that equaliser.

“We will always fight to the very end to try to get something.”