Ruben Rodrigues continued to bask in the sun as Wanderers collected their first win of pre-season, writes Pete Oliver.
Rodrigues – a two-goal hero of the Whites’ play-off final triumph on a scorcher at Wembley in May – followed up his strike in last Friday night’s curtain-raiser in Slovakia with another sunlit double at Boundary Park.
The Portuguese play-maker again underlined his Championship credentials, following a previous taste of the level with Oxford United, in a slick 60-minute performance which brought him both of Wanderers’ first-half goals before substitute John McAtee rounded things off with a late third.
Both of Rodrigues’ latest contributions were created by right-back Luca Stephenson who continued his positive early impression by crossing for Rodrigues to head home after 12 minutes and then delivering low for a neat-post finish with less than half an hour gone.
Rodrigues was denied a possible hat-trick when another effort was blocked following a pull-back from Thierry Gale as Wanderers continued to prosper out wide, before the ‘number 10’ turned creator to tee up David Watson for an effort that was just off target.
Oldham had threatened at either end of the half as Keenan Appiah-Forson went close and big striker Mike Fondop posed an aerial problem with two headed efforts.
But Wanderers were largely in control in a decent work-out against their League Two opponents with boss Steven Schumacher making four changes at the break and then introducing a further seven substitutes with an hour gone on an evening when some of the Whites’ football matched the smartness of their new burgundy away kit.
A further goal or two after the break would have been ideal and after Charlie Warren and substitute Joel Randall had gone close McAtee did find a way through with a nice finish, curled across substitute goalkeeper Aston Wilson and into the far corner following a fine pass from youngster Toby Ritchie with five minutes to go.
That had come shortly after Oldham pulled a goal back from the penalty spot through Calum Kavanagh after he had been tripped by Xavier Simons and with a two-goal lead restored Wanderers had done what they needed to in another step along the way before needing to raise their sights when Everton come to town on Saturday.
Wanderers: Bonham; Stephenson (Christie HT), Forino (Inwood HT), Davies (Temple HT), Conway; Sheehan (Simons HT); Warren, Watson, Rodrigues, Gale; Dalby.
Substitutes used 60 minutes: Harrington, Famewo, Ritchie, Randall, Dong, McAtee, Forss.
Oldham Athletic: Hudson; Sutton, Daniels, Delaney, Robson; Stevens, Norburn, Pett, Drummond; Appiah-Forson, Fondop.
Substitutes used: Scott-Morriss, Monthe, Nevitt, Chilvers, Woods, Hammond, Kavanagh, Wilson.
Referee: Matt McQuillan