We caught up with United manager Neil McDonald shortly after full time yesterday.
He told us: "It certainly wasn't the best we've played all season, but to come away with a point knowing that we haven't played as well as we have done in the past is very satisfying indeed. Especially when you consider it was against a top six team, and a team that played really well on the day in Oldham."
"I think we started fairly poorly," he added. "We didn't try to turn them and with the sun in our eyes, and the wind against us, we haven't played to the conditions. That only helped put us under pressure. Hands up - when the goal came you'd have to say they deserved it, but we kept at it and just kept chipping away. The lads have got this never-say-die attitude, and they don't like getting beat. Eventually we've broken them down and we're very happy with the point."
On the Derek Holmes goal, he said: "He's a lad with lots and lots of strengths. We brought him on to win the flick-ons and get his head to it, especially in the box, so he's done exactly what we wanted. He's contributed hugely this season, both with his general play and with the goals he has got for himself."
"It was a great ball in," he told us, "and we've been practising for the last five or six weeks on our delivery, just to make sure that it is in the right place at the right time. What we have to do along with that is to make sure that the players are making the right runs to get their head on it. Fortunately for us it's happened today, and Derek has stuck it away. We have a way of training and of play in which, if the full backs can push forward and add to our forward play, then they've got every licence to do so. We're looking for them to help with the right delivery in to the box as well, because if you don't put the right ball in you don't score goals."
With the run-in well and truly underway, he concluded: "It doesn't matter how we play at this part of the season, it's all about trying to pick up results and we'll keep trying to do that. Never underestimate a point, and never underestimate a point when you haven't played very well. All in all it's a huge relief that we've come away with something. It keeps pushing us up the league and gets us another step closer to the Play-Off places."
