Rodrigues Double Sinks Oldham in Friendly Clash

Oldham Athletic and Bolton Wanderers met at Boundary Park on a warm July afternoon for a friendly fixture designed to build match fitness ahead of the new season. The hosts started with reasonable intent but found themselves under pressure early on as Bolton's visitors moved the ball with purpose and caused problems in the final third from the opening exchanges.

Bolton struck first through Rodrigues in the 12th minute, establishing an early foothold in the contest. The away side doubled their advantage just eleven minutes later when Rodrigues found the net again to give Bolton a commanding 2-0 lead. Oldham struggled to respond to the early onslaught and spent much of the first half chasing the game, unable to find any real rhythm or cutting edge in their attacking play as Bolton controlled proceedings with relative ease.

The second half saw Oldham improve their approach and press for a foothold back into the match. Their persistence paid off in the 82nd minute when Kavanagh pulled one back to make it 2-1, giving the hosts genuine hope of salvaging something from the game. Bolton, however, had other ideas and sealed the win in the 86th minute through McAtee, whose goal effectively ended any prospect of a comeback and confirmed the visitors' superiority throughout.

The result hands Bolton a confidence-boosting away victory as both sides continue their preparations for the season ahead. Oldham will take positives from their second-half showing but will know they need to start matches far more sharply if they are to compete when the campaign gets underway. For Bolton, the convincing nature of the win suggests their pre-season preparations are on track.