Richard Offiong made his first League One start of the season for the trip to Boundary Park with defender Richard Keogh making a welcome return from injury to take his place on the bench.

Offiong found himself with a half chance in the 3rd minute when Reuben Hazell allowed a high ball forward to bounce. The United striker took a touch, but Gregan recovered and blocked before the shot was made.

The Cumbrians should have been in front in the 6th minute when Offiong allowed a drilled pass to go past him. That wrong-footed the defence and Dobie was suddenly clean through and one-on-one. Keeper Dean Brill held his position and executed a superb one-handed save as the Carlisle forward tried to find the bottom corner from 12-yards out.

Chris Taylor brought a punched clearance from Pidgeley as Oldham started to probe when his looping header dipped invitingly towards Abbott, but it was the Latics who grabbed the lead moments later with an incisive move. Taylor and Sheehan unlocked the defence on the left flank and the latter picked out the predatory Pawel Abbott with an accurate pass that the in-form striker was able to stroke home from close range.

Graham Kavanagh fizzed a 23-yard free kick right at Brill, and Matt Robson won a corner when he latched onto an Offiong flick before striding into the box. Livesey won the header from the resulting Hurst corner and it took two deflections before Brill was able to claim it.

The Sheehan and Taylor pairing almost brought dividends again in the 25th minute when they exchanged passes to leave the Carlisle defence flat-footed. Taylor's curling cross was met by Abbott, with his back to goal, and a neat bit of skill almost took into the top corner as he tried to hook it past the unsuspecting keeper.

Kevan Hurst smashed one over the bar when he met a Robson cross on the full, but the Cumbrians thought they'd equalised on the half hour mark when Sheehan headed another Robson delivery back towards his own goal. Dean Brill reacted brightly and thumped it away as it angled towards the roof of his net.

Peter Murphy smashed a half clearance back through a gaggle of bodies as United tried to build up a head of steam, and Scott Dobie was left to curse the woodwork in the 37th minute when he ran onto another nice flick from Offiong. Brill was committed, but the powerful 16-yard effort smacked back off the upright and was cleared to safety.

Pidgeley had to go full length to keep United in the game as the clock ticked into time added on when Danny Whitaker capitalised on persistent work from Abbott in midfield. Whitaker strode forward and unleashed a thunderbolt, but it was a vital hand from the diving keeper that took it away from the target.

Keigan Parker shot wide from the corner that followed, and it was the Cumbrians who had all the work left to do as the half time whistle blew.

Half Time: Latics 1 - 0 United

Chris Taylor won a corner within seconds of the restart when he was able to shoot early from a weak Kavanagh clearance with the Latics trying to build on their one goal advantage.

David Raven tried one from distance as Carlisle tried to get their own game going, and a Kevan Hurst cross was millimetres away from Offiong as he tried to take it into his stride inside the box.

But it was the Latics who drew first blood in the second half when Abbott spotted Taylor in space on the left wing. He fed it onwards to Sheehan and his low cross invited Parker to steam in at the back stick and finish it off from close range.

Scott Dobie was inches away from scoring again on 62 minutes when he got in front of his man to meet a Taiwo cross on the volley. Just 8 yards out he appeared to do everything right but was disappointed to see it bobble wide of the post.

Chris Taylor jinked his way through two challenges in the 75th minute and went for the near post with a shot that almost deceived Pidgeley. The Carlisle keeper recovered quickly and pushed the ball away.

Matt Robson tried to make things happen in the 83rd minute with a determined run that brought a shot that flew just wide with Brill on the dive, but it wouldn't happen for a Carlisle side who suffered their first defeat on the road this season as Oldham held onto their two goal lead.

Goals

Oldham - Abbott (13), Parker (52)

Bookings

United - Kavanagh (31), Livesey (84)

Teams 

Oldham - Brill, Hazell, Whitaker, Abbott, Lomax, Furman, Gregan, Parker (Brooke 79), Taylor, Colbeck (Lee 73), Sheehan. Subs (not used) - Csiki, Ollerenshaw, Rowney, Bembo-Leta, Tischler.

United - Pidgeley, Raven, Livesey, Murphy, Harte, Hurst, Kavanagh (Taiwo 55), Thirlwell, Robson, Dobie (Madine 74), Offiong (Anyinsah 55). Subs (not used) - Collin, Bridge-Wilkinson, Rothery, Keogh.

Away fans - 791