FRANKIE Bunn branded Oldham’s performance as disgraceful after they were thrashed at Carlisle United.

The Latics fell to their second defeat of the Christmas period but their 6-0 thrashing was far worse than Saturday’s 3-2 defeat by Exeter.

Carlisle took a 2-0 half-time lead through goals from Hallam Hope and Jerry Yates, then added four more in the second half with strikes from Ashley Nadesan, Danny Grainger, Gary Liddle and a second for Rotherham loan man Yates.

And Oldham boss Bunn was far from amused with his side’s performance and said he was at a loss to explain where it had come from.

Bunn said: “We were defensively inept. There was a lack of will to get back into shape and position and defend.”

“We have been solid until today. But there simply wasn’t enough of anything about that performance. No spirit. No intensity to defend.

“I don’t know where that result has come from. I honestly don’t know. We have got to work harder and show more resilience and manage certain scenarios better than we did today.

“There was a lack of effort to get back in shape and defend crosses. You name it. Players were taking too many touches and strolling around. You have got to do the ugly side first and foremost which we didn’t.”

To rub salt into the wound for Oldham, the defeat came at the hands of former Latics boss John Sheridan.

Oldham applied early pressure and Carlisle’s central defenders Tom Parkes and ex-Latic Anthony Gerrard were kept fully occupied dealing with a series of attacks.

It took Carlisle a while to settle but when they did former Bury striker Hope was on target with a close-range finish to give the Cumbrians an 18th-minute lead. Nadesan’s one-two with Jack Sowerby opened up the Oldham defence and when Nadesan’s effort came back to Hope he was in position at the far post to squeeze the ball home from a couple of yards out.

Carlisle made it 2-0 on the half hour with a move begun and finished by Yates. His efforts led to a shot by Jamie Devitt which was punched away by goalkeeper Daniel Iversen. The attempted clearance landed at the feet of Hope who squared the ball, enabling Yates to force it home from close range.

There was not too much for the travelling Oldham contingent to get excited about although they did subject Gerrard to ironic jeers when the big defender strode forward to try his luck from 30 yards, a shot that sailed high over the bar.

However on the stroke of half time Chris O’Grady missed a clear-cut chance from close in that would have given Oldham something to work on. Instead the striker spooned his shot over the bar with just Adam Collin to beat.

Oldham came out with greater purpose after the break with Lang not far off finding Surridge with a ball into the box.

Carlisle struck on the break in the 60th minute after weathering a period of pressure, with Yates setting up Hope for a cross which Nadesan met with a diving header just inside the right-hand post.

Oldham’s woes increased when from a free kick 30 yards out, which resulted in as booking for Christopher Missilou, Grainger hammered a shot past the wall which Ivesen got a hand to, but was unable to prevent going in for Carlisle’s fourth.

Yates added his second on the break and in added time a Liddle header completed the rout.

Carlisle boss Sheridan said: “I feared we might have buckled at 2-0, but we pulled through it. It’s nice to see a bit of swagger. It does good for confidence. That’s massive for us today.”