Clive Platt's second minute goal saw the U's return from Boundary Park with all three points this afternoon.

Colchester United kept alive their slim play-off hopes this afternoon with a single goal victory at Oldham Athletic. Clive Platt pounced on Reuben Hazell's calamatous header after just two minutes to secure the U's all three points and with two homes games to come agaisnt struggling Crewe and Swindon Town, United may just be able to breath life in to the Play-off ambitions.
Tinkerman Paul Lambert again rotated his squad after Tuesday night's draw at Huddersfield. Mark Cousins kept his place in goal despite the return of Dean Gerken to the squad while Chris Coyne came in for the injured Paul Reid. Mark Yeates calf injury kept him out of the squad for the first time this season but Steven Gillespie started his first game since January's trip to Bristol Rovers. Scott Vernon and Sunday Wasiu were on the bench.
Always a trough place to go, United got the perfect start thanks to Platt's 6th goal of the season. It was former Torquay central defender Reuben Hazell's header that created the goal as his attempted return to Fleming fell straight to the U's striker who turned and volleyed past the exposed Greg Fleming.
United would go on to dominate the half and Paul Lambert must be wondering how they weren't three or four goals to the good. Perkins saw his shot beaten away by former Gretna keeper Fleming before his failure to collect a cross from ex-Oldham man Marc Tierney saw Hazell clear from off the line.
Simon Hackney will have been disappointed by his failure to convert his chance on the half hour before Perkins wasted another opportunity after Izzet and Gillespie had combined to open up the Latics defence. Nine minutes before the break, Gillespie hit the woodwork from a Perkins corner while Hammond volleyed with with three minutes of the half remaining.
The only downside to the first period from the U's point of view - aside from not scoring more goals - was a late booking for Kem Izzet on the ground where he suffered his only sending off in his career.
Oldham started brightly in the second half with Mark Cousins having been to strong to parry Steve Kabba's turn and shot from the corner of the six yard box. At the other end, there was a rare shot from Pat Baldwin but by the time Gillespie had put the ball in to the net, the referee had blown for a foul. Almost immediately, Oldham counter-attacked and Cousins was grateful to see Dean Smalley's shot come back off the inside of his post. Marc Tierney, playing against his former side, then bravely got in front of Neil Eardley's free-kick to help the U's keep a clean sheet.
Latics manager John Sheridan made his first change before the hour mark by introducing veteran Hull City loanee Dean Windass instead of Kabba while Gillespie chased a long ball forward to force Fleming to concede a corner from his ensuing shot. That was the last action for the former Cheltenham man who was withdrawn to allow another former Oldham old-boy Scott Vernon to enter the fray.
With 20 minutes to go, another save from young goalkeeper Mark Cousins kept United ahead. Coyne allowed the ball to go over his head for Lee Hughes to chase but as he tried to lift the ball over the U's number 23, he was able to bat the ball away to safety.
Both managers made changes as they looked to alter the result - or keep it in Lambert's case. Wordsworth and Wasiu came in for Hackney and the hard-working CLive Platt while Whittaker and the pacy Allessandra replaced Allott and Liddle.
Oldham continued to pressure the U's in the late stages of the game but Cousins saved from Lee Hughes and then did well to turn over his bar from a Whittaker shot for a corner. When Tierney headed Jones' late cross to the far post behind for a corner, United stood strong at the back and were able to play out time until the final whistle.

U's: Cousins, Maybury, Coyne, Baldwin, Tierney, Hackney (Wordsworth 77), Perkins, Hammond, Izzet, Gillespie (Vernon 65), Platt (Wasiu 65)
Subs not used: Gerken, and White,
Oldham: Fleming, Eardley, Hazell, Gregan, Jones, Smalley, Allott (Whitaker 76), Maher, Liddell (Alessandra 80), Hughes, Kabba (Windass 58)
Subs not used: Budtz, and Hines

Att: 4591
Ref: C Sarginson

Photo: Action Images

Colchester United Polls