Josh Hawkes effort enough as Oldham clinch late win against Grimsby

Josh Hawkes scored a late winner as Oldham stretched their unbeaten run to seven games with a narrow 1-0 League Two victory over Grimsby, who dropped out of the play-off spots as a result.

It was a real battle at Boundary Park, with substitutes Oli Hammond and goalscorer Hawkes combining to give Oldham the edge and inflict only a second defeat in 15 games on Grimsby.

Micky Mellon’s Latics set an attacking tempo and early half-chances fell to Kane Drummond.

But there was otherwise little to write home about – for either team – in a stop-start first half.

Grimsby seemed content to soak up the pressure and frustrate their opponents, but the game came more to life in the second half, with both teams having more and better chances.

Mariners substitute Jamie Walker came the closest to scoring for the visitors, but his strike from the edge of the box rattled the crossbar.

Oldham clinched maximum points in the 82nd minute, breaking through Hammond, who laid on the perfect ball for Hawkes to run onto and slot past Jackson Smith into the bottom-right corner.