PETE Wild wants the instability at Oldham to end and for focus to turn to the pitch after his first game as permanent boss ended in a 2-0 win against Grimsby Town.

Chris O’Grady’s strike three minutes before half time and Callum Lang’s header after the break ensured the Latics ended a six-match winless run.

Wild, who has taken over at Boundary Park until the end of the season after Paul Scholes’ departure, insists on-field matters are the only priority with his new side sitting 15th in League Two.

"It’s a really good feeling,” said Wild, whose successful spell as caretaker manager at Boundary Park earlier this season saw them take the FA Cup scalp of Premier League Fulham.

“I felt we controlled the game for long periods, implemented the plan where possible, and I thought we were good for at least a 2-0 victory.

"I find letting go off the behind the scenes stuff quite easy because I know what my job is.

“There will always be at any football club stuff in the background that you may agree or disagree with, so you’ve just got to put that to one side.

“You have to walk out every morning and concentrate on the football – and if the football does you well, then you’ll always be all right.

“I’ll ultimately be judged not on how I behave Monday to Friday with all the other stuff, I’ll be judged on Saturday afternoon and how I do on the pitch, so that’s just where I am with things."

Gevaro Nepomuceno played a promising ball across goal in the early stages, while Christopher Missilou’s solo run into the box ended under Ludvig Ohman’s challenge.

The Latics had Daniel Iversen to thank when Kristian Dennis turned in the box and his cross evaded all except Wes Thomas, with the Oldham stopper tipping a close range header over on 15 minutes.

James McKeown was called into action at the other end as Alex Iacovitti received possession back from O’Grady to fire a thundering 27th-minute volley at goal which was parried to safety.

Johan Branger-Engone got the better of Ohman to jink into the box on the half-hour and unleashed a low effort which McKeown saved with his feet.

Kristian Dennis went through with five minutes remaining but fired a tame effort at Iversen under pressure from George Edmundson and Peter Clarke.

But the Latics took the lead not long after when O’Grady’s shot flew past McKeown and appeared to take a deflection off Ohman on its way in.

Nepomuceno unleashed a fierce stoppage-time effort and stung McKeown’s plams as the Latics searched for a second.

McKeown clawed Callum Lang’s deflected effort behind just after the restart, while Branger-Engone’s 55th-minute free kick was headed well over by Edmundson.

Martyn Woolford rattled the bar for the Mariners and Iversen kept Ohman’s header out when the ball was put back into the box before the hour as the Latics lived dangerously.

O’Grady nearly grabbed his and Oldham’s second of the encounter with 15 minutes left but a low diving McKeown tipped the effort behind.

But they did just that when Lang rose highest from Mohamed Maouche’s 77th-minute corner to double Oldham’s advantage and wrap up all three points.

Sebastian Ring’s curling cross for the visitors three minutes from time nearly met substitute Harry Cardwell but Iversen smothered the loose ball.

MATCH STATS

Oldham: (4-4-2): Iversen 7, Hamer 6, Clarke 7, Edmundson 6, Iacovitti 7, Branger 7, Missilou 6, Maouche 7, Nepomuceno 6 (Dearnley 69 5), Lang 7, O’Grady 8.

Subs not used: De La Paz, Coke, Vera, Sefil, Hunt, Sylla.

Grimsby: (3-5-2): McKeown, Hall-Johnson, Ohman (Cardwell 69), Davis, Hendrie, Clifton, Hessenthaler, Woolford, Ring, Dennis (Rose 60), Thomas.

Subs not used: Russell, Collins, Grayson, Verman, Whitmore.

Referee: James Adcock.

Attendance: 3,998.