The Bantams recorded another three points and, once again, Devante Cole was the match winner with an expertly taken second half strike to keep up his fantastic start to life as a Bradford City player.
Reece Burke gave City the lead after twenty-one minutes before Oldham forward Jonathan Forte was given his marching orders by the referee for appearing to head-butt Stephen Darby. Cole doubled the lead midway into the second half before Joe Mills halved the deficit late on with a thumping header.
City made a positive start to the game and Josh Morris, back in the side in place of Paul Anderson, saw a free kick kept out well by Oldham stopper Joel Coleman inside the first sixty seconds. After that, James Hanson saw his header go wide of the target following James Meredith’s centre.
The hosts then failed to capitalise on a short spell where they looked on top, and shortly after Mike Jones’ free kick from 25 yards was held onto well by Ben Williams, City took the lead through Burke.
Morris delivered a free kick into the area, Coleman came unconvincingly and was overpowered by Hanson; Mark Marshall centred for Burke, who slotted into the bottom corner from 10 yards out.
Cole was making his first start for the club since arriving on a two year deal and he showed signs of the pace he carries early on. Going on a long run forward, he beat Dieng before going down under a challenge from James Wilson and although it looked a decent shout for a penalty, it was waved away by the referee, Mr. M Heywood.
Just past the hour mark, there was a major event in the game as Jonathan Forte was given a straight red card for appearing to push his head against the head of Stephen Darby.
The contact was likely to have been at a minimum but you simply can’t do that on a football pitch. It was under the referee’s nose and he didn’t take long to brandish the card.
City looked to really up the ante and take the game to Oldham and Billy Knott went close with a 25 yard drive from range after he’d received a pass infield.
The Bantams had a couple of chances in quick succession before the interval to double the lead, both through Hanson.
Morris, a key performer all afternoon, delivered an inch perfect cross onto the head of the front-man but he saw his attempt tipped over by Coleman. His second attempt came when Burke’s cross was headed back across goal by Marshall before Hanson saw a close range header tipped over the bar by the frame of Eoghan O'Connell.
Jones was at the centre of all Oldham’s set pieces throughout the game and this particular one early in the second half caused problems in the area. Rhys Turner had a swipe at the ball before O’Connell, recently signed on loan from Celtic, swept over the bar.
Despite the man dis-advantage, Oldham were doing their best to make the game less comfortable for the Bantams, and they had decent chances through David Dunn and Danny Philliskirk around the hour mark.
The next notable chance was an Oldham one and it came through former Bradford man Mark Yeates. He scored a few free kicks during his two years in West Yorkshire, but his attempt from 25 yards on this occasion was held onto confidently by Ben Williams.
Seconds later, City had doubled the lead. Knott played a brilliantly weighted pass forward for Cole to latch onto and from a tight angle he finished superbly past Coleman to score what would ultimately prove to be the match winner for the Bantams.
Morris and Hanson both had chances shortly after to make matters worse for the hosts but their attempts did little to trouble Coleman in Oldham’s goal.
Morris did though force Coleman into action with his next shot in anger; after latching onto Knott’s pass, he saw an angled drive from 15 yards out tipped wide of the post by Coleman.
Joe Mills headed past Williams from six yards out after latching onto Yeates’ delivery from the right flank to half the deficit with just under ten minutes remaining on the clock. Carl Winchester was brought on as a sub and he saw an attempt go over the bar before fellow sub Rhys Murphy should’ve done better with a header that went over the bar after he’d latched onto Jones’ centre.
City held on for all three points despite a couple of slightly nail-biting moments late on to record their second successive victory and their first win on the road this season!