Micky Mellon delighted with Shrewsbury success

A goal in each half from strikers Liam McAlinden and Tyrone Barnett sealed a comfortable first-round victory, an opening Greenhous Meadow win of the season for Shrewsbury after starting with three successive home defeats in League One.

Mellon has lost the services of Woods and also highly-rated defender Connor Goldson, sold to Brighton, in the last fortnight.

But he was delighted how his much-changed side performed against the Latics as they kept a first clean sheet of the season. They were also boosted by the return of key duo Nat Knight-Percival and James Wesolowski, starting their first games since being sidelined with knee ligament injuries in January.

Mellon said: "We won't lie and say it's not been a tough few weeks for a lot of reasons, but it was important we got back out on the football pitch and we tried to get something going with some kind of result and I think we did that.

"We probably needed that game tonight to be honest for a whole host of reasons, but we're delighted that we got our first clean sheet and all the rest of it.

"We got Weso and Knight-Percival through and got other lads some game time so there were plenty of pluses."

Mellon praised the attitude of former Oldham midfielder Wesolowski against his old club, and Knight-Percival in working to hard to make such an impressive return to action following such a lengthy absence.

"Great credit to them and the fitness people that they've got them into that kind of condition," he said. "I thought they were terrific.

"We haven't bleated on about it and we have't whinged or moaned, but we know how big a loss they've been to us, a huge loss to lose them when we did. To have them back now is like having two fantastic new players back in the building."

McAlinden, on loan from Wolves, fired a left-footed shot high into the net just before the break and his striker partner Barnett neatly rounded goalkeeper David Cornell to double the lead just after the restart.

"They'll always thrive on scoring goals," added Mellon. "That's what they're all about, we know that. It's important that they continue to do that and it was pleasing to see the two lads getting a goal."

It was a night to forget for Oldham who offered little going forward apart from two shots from distance from midfielder George Green which were kept out by Shrewsbury goalkeeper Jayson Leutwiler.

"It was a disappointing performance and a lapse of concentration to concede two very soft goals," admitted Latics manager Darren Kelly.

"I just thought we couldn't get near them. We were ball watching too much without looking at runners and at times they were just playing round us. It's one of those where we have to dust ourselves off and get ready for Saturday."

Kelly was pleased with the contribution of young defender George Edmundson as he made several changes to give his squad men a chance to impress.

"I thought George was excellent," he said.

"We made quite a few changes and there were a couple of niggly injuries so it was a good opportunity for players who haven't maybe played so much to come in and stake a claim for a place in the team."