Oldham Athletic v Halifax Town Free Bets & Match Preview

Oldham Athletic v Halifax Town Free Bets & Match Preview

Oldham Aim to Tame Shaymen in Promotion Bid at Boundary Park

National League Play-Offs Quarter-Final

📅 Wednesday, 14 May 2025
🕖 Kick-off: 7.45pm (UK time)
📍 Boundary Park, Oldham

It’s crunch time at Boundary Park as Oldham Athletic prepare to host Halifax Town in the National League play-off quarter-finals. With both sides now just three matches from a return to the promised land of League Two, the stakes couldn’t be higher – and neither could the nerves.

Oldham, once rubbing shoulders with Premier League royalty, are now on a mission to end their three-year exile from the English Football League. Their opponents, Halifax Town, also have promotion ambitions, but they’ll need to pull something special out of the bag on Wednesday night if they are to dent Oldham’s hopes.

And while fans gear up for a potentially nail-biting encounter, punters can enjoy a little extra incentive thanks to leading UK bookmaker BetGoodwin, who are offering new customers 50% back as a free bet up to £25. Because if there’s one thing better than a win for your team, it’s a cheeky free bet bonus to sweeten the deal.

The Road to the Playoffs: Oldham’s Long Way Round

Following their dramatic relegation from League Two in the 2021–22 season – a campaign that few Latics fans will recall fondly – Oldham spent two uninspiring years meandering through mid-table obscurity in the National League. However, third time appears to be the charm, as they finally booked a play-off berth under the watchful eye of Micky Mellon.

It’s not been a seamless campaign by any means, but Oldham did just enough to secure a fifth-placed finish after 46 games, safely nestled six points clear of Gateshead in eighth. A top-seven spot always felt like a realistic target, but for a fanbase craving a return to the EFL, it’s just the beginning.

Form-wise, Oldham are hardly surging, with just two wins in their final seven league matches. Yet they delivered when it mattered on Bank Holiday Monday, comfortably seeing off already-relegated Ebbsfleet United. Veteran striker Joe Garner – once of Preston North End fame – rolled back the years with a clinical brace, finally ending a dry spell that lasted a rather painful 13 matches. Better late than never.

Boundary Park has become something of a fortress in recent weeks, with Mellon’s side tasting defeat just once in their last six at home. Notable scalps include Hartlepool United and, of course, Ebbsfleet, which will give the Latics faithful a reason to believe ahead of this crucial clash.

Fondop-Talum’s Finest Hour

Among the bright sparks in Oldham’s revival is frontman Mike Fondop-Talum. A lively character with a knack for making things happen, Fondop is enjoying his most prolific season yet, racking up 16 goals and assisting five more in his 42 league appearances. His physicality and unpredictability make him a constant menace, and Halifax’s backline will have to be on red alert.

Alongside him, Garner’s recent brace could earn him a starting nod again, giving Oldham a blend of experience and athleticism in the final third. Add the likes of midfield metronome Jordan Rossiter and Championship veteran Corry Evans into the mix, and Mellon’s side boasts both flair and grit – two essential ingredients for play-off success.

Halifax: Punching Above Their Weight

While Oldham enter the playoffs with the weight of expectation, Halifax Town’s path to this stage has been far less glamorous – and far less goal-laden. Chris Millington’s side have remarkably snuck into the top seven despite netting a meagre 50 goals all season. Only Ebbsfleet United, the division’s basement dwellers, scored fewer.

To make matters even more curious, the club’s top scorer, Andrew Oluwabori, left for League One’s Exeter City in February – and he only managed six goals before the switch. It’s fair to say that the Shaymen’s Golden Boot race has been more like a slow shuffle.

Nevertheless, Millington has squeezed every drop of fight out of his team. That said, they arrive at Boundary Park licking their wounds from a 3-1 defeat to Wealdstone – hardly ideal preparation. Ending the regular season with three defeats in five doesn’t scream promotion credentials either, but the playoffs are a different beast entirely.

Previous Meetings: Advantage Oldham

This won’t be the first time the two sides have met at Boundary Park this season – in fact, it’ll be the third. Oldham fans will be buoyed by the fact their team won both previous encounters. First came a 4-2 win in the FA Cup back in October, followed by a solid 2-0 victory in the league in March, with Fondop-Talum and Kian Harratt doing the damage.

If form and history are anything to go by, Oldham are rightful favourites – and many punters will be piling in on the Latics via bookmakers offering National League free bet bonuses, including that tasty offer from BetGoodwin.

Team News: Latics Looking Settled

Oldham appear to have found a formula that works, and Mellon is unlikely to tinker too much with his starting eleven. After that clean sheet against Ebbsfleet, the defensive pairing of captain Charlie Raglan and Reagan Ogle looks set to continue, offering steel and composure at the back.

In midfield, expect the industrious Pritchard and Yoganathan to combine with Rossiter and Dan Pett, while on the flanks, Mark Kitching and Tom Sutton will look to provide width and crosses for the front two. Garner should keep his place after his goal-scoring exploits, but he may be joined by Fondop-Talum rather than Harratt up top.

Shaymen Shuffle the Deck

Halifax are expected to ring the changes following their limp showing against Wealdstone. Youngsters such as Dubem Eze, Owen Bray and Zac Emmerson may find themselves back on the bench, with experience likely to be favoured for this pressure-cooker occasion.

Captain Adam Senior will marshal the defence alongside Jesse Sutcliffe, while Ryan Galvin and Sam Tarima look likely to occupy the wing-back positions. In midfield, look out for the tough-tackling Max Pugh and the creative touches of Arjan Hoti and Marvin Alimi-Adetoro. Up front, Jamie Cooke and Robert Thomas should provide the attacking threat, with Milli Alli Jenkins expected to complete the forward line.

Prediction: A Narrow Oldham Win on the Cards

Given their superior firepower and home advantage, it’s hard to look past Oldham here. The Latics have already beaten the Shaymen twice at Boundary Park this season, and with Fondop in fine form and Garner rediscovering his shooting boots, the ingredients are all there for another home win.

Halifax, for all their grit, may struggle to pose enough of a threat in the final third to turn the tide. Their paltry goal return and recent wobbles suggest this might be the end of their play-off road.

Prediction: Oldham Athletic 2-1 Halifax Town

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As the battle for League Two hots up, Oldham look set to take one step closer to redemption. Boundary Park will be rocking – now it’s up to the Latics to deliver.