Notts County 3
Oldham Athletic 1
Notts County moved to within a point of the play-offs with a comfortable 3-1 win over Oldham Athletic.
Before kick-off, just one place separated the two sides in the League Two table, but this was not clear to see on the pitch with a Donovan Daniels own goal and a Tyrese Hall strike giving the Magpies a first-half lead, before Alassana Jatta added a third early in the second half.
Burnley loanee Michael Mellon managed to pull one back for the visitors when he lobbed Kelle Roos; however, this proved no more than a consolation with Notts County holding on for a fourth straight home win.
Kick-Off
It took just seven minutes for Notts County to take the lead, with the hosts catching the Latics' defence napping and taking full advantage.
Jodi Jones quickly taken throw-in caught Oldham off guard, and allowed Jatta to break into the box from the left.
His cross deflected off Daniels' foot and looped over his own goalkeeper, Matt Hudson, and into the far corner.
Five minutes later, Hudson had to be called into action to deny Martin Paterson's side from doubling their lead.
Jones played a pass in-field to Hall, and he drove forward before sliding the ball out to Nick Tsaroulla in space on the left wing.
The Cypriot's drilled cross picked out Tom Iorpenda, and the Huddersfield Town loanee's shot from ten yards out stung the palms of Hudson who parried away.
Three minutes later, Hudson was again forced into a save with Jatta the man denied this time.
A weak backward header from Daniels was pounced on by the Gambia international who then ran through on goal, but saw his shot saved by the legs of Hudson down low.
County kept the pressure up and went close twice in quick succession.
First, Jones fizzed an effort wide from 25 yards, before Tsaroulla hit the foot of the post after being picked out at the back post by Jatta.
However, the hosts weren't to be denied and just before the half-hour mark they doubled their advantage.
Jatta was dispossessed by Kai Payne just inside the Oldham penalty area, and the ball came the way of Hall, who curled the ball into the bottom left-hand corner.
This was the 20-year-old's third goal for the Magpies since joining on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, all of which have come in County's last two home games in League Two.
Half Time: Notts County 2-0 Oldham Athletic
The second half began in similar fashion with the Magpies making it 3-0 four minutes after the restart.
Hall turned provider, with his pass sliding through Jatta, and the striker slotted the ball through the legs of Hudson and into the back of the net from a narrow angle.
However, Oldham hit back instantly, reducing Notts County's lead back down to two goals five minutes later.
From Hudson's ball forward, Mellon beat Tsaroulla in a foot race to reach the ball first, and the manager's son lobbed Roos from just inside the penalty area to make it 3-1.
This was Mellon's third goal in five appearances for Oldham since joining the club on loan from Burnley to play under his dad Micky.
The next ten minutes saw Oldham dominate possession with County stuck inside their own half.
Despite this, the Latics failed to create any real opportunities for the rest of the match.
As for County, they had several chances to add to their lead.
As the game entered its final quarter substitute Matthew Dennis teed up Tsaroulla to shoot from the edge of the box, and he forced an impressive one-handed diving save from Hudson.
Seven minutes from time the Magpies really should have added a fourth.
Three substitutes combined with Maziar Kouhyar teeing up Keanan Bennetts, and he then stabbed a pass to Conor Grant at the back post, but the winger's shot was straight at Hudson who parried away.
Full Time: Notts County 3-1 Oldham Athletic
Another convincing three points at Meadow Lane for Notts County moves the Magpies up to 9th in the table.
They're also now seven games unbeaten at home to Oldham, not losing to the Latics at Meadow Lane since 2011.
A first away defeat since April for Oldham brings to an end their four-game unbeaten run, and sees them slip down two places in the table to 15th.
Notts County: Roos, McDonald, Beadeau, Jones (Bennetts 46'), Iorpenda (Kouhyar 65'), Palmer (Norburn 90+3'), Robertson, Tsaroulla, Hall (Grant 65'), Macari, Jatta (Dennis 65').
Goals: Daniels O.G. 7', Hall 29', Jatta 49'
Yellow Cards: Roos 86'
Oldham Athletic: Hudson, Daniels (Sutton 26'), Monthe, Woods, Conlon, Drummond (Fondop 46'), Quigley (Morris 56'), Caprice (Hannant 78'), Robson, Payne (Pett 56'), Mellon.
Goals: Mellon 54'
Yellow Cards: Conlon 68'
ATT: 11,481 (2,066 away)
By Nathan Williams
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