Oldham boss hails stunning Dylan Bahamboula goal in Tranmere draw

The hosts were a goal and a man to the good with 12 minutes remaining when Bahamboula unleased an unstoppable effort from 25 yards as the game ended 2-2.

It was an unlikely scoreline when, with the game at 1-1, Latics saw Sido Jombati sent off two minutes into the second half with Kaiyne Woolery putting the hosts in front shortly after.

Davis Keillor-Dunn had given Oldham an early lead before after Ian Lawlor saved James Vaughan’s penalty, Tranmere levelled through Calum MacDonald.

It was all about Bahamboula at the final whistle though, leaving his manager purring.

“The goal was fantastic and something we knew he’s capable of doing. That’s normal for Bahamboula,” Kewell  said.

“It’s one of the greatest goals you will see live. The way he’s hit it, it’s stayed at a height that has just sailed.

“You see a lot of shots that will go up and down and loop and bend but that was just like an arrow.

“To be able to create that power from that backlift, there’s only a few players that can do that.”

Latics made a perfect start with Keillor-Dunn invited to run and run some more from halfway before slotting a low finish beyond Scott Davies for his fourth goal in his last six games.

Tranmere grew into the game and while the visitors still carried a threat, Keith Hill’s side built towards their leveller.

Paul Lewis dragged a shot wide midway through the half when he should have tested Lawlor before the Doncaster loanee was in action to deny Vaughan from distance, Latics just about stopping Woolery converting the follow-up.

Rovers thought they’d got their equaliser when Andrea Badan brought Vaughan down in the box but after the striker had picked himself up his effort from 12 yards was saved by Lawlor.

The hosts did not have to wait long for their goal though, profiting on a poor pass from Badan, MacDonald fired a fine shot beyond Lawlor from 20 yards.

The game seemingly changed decisively in a few mad minutes immediately after the interval.

First Jombati was late to a ball dropping from the sky and clattered into Woolery and having been booked for an earlier altercation with Peter Clarke, referee Sebastian Stockbridge had the simple task of showing a second yellow card.

Latics lasted just four minutes with 10 men as after a clearance was blocked the ball ricocheted to Woolery who couldn’t miss from close range.

The home side didn’t kill the game off though, Vaughan sending a shot inches wide and seeing a header cleared off the line by Harry Clarke.

Then up stepped Bahamboula 12 minutes from time with his strike leaving Davies rooted to the spot.

At the final whistle, Kewell was left with mixed emotions.  

“It was great the character my team showed but we’re having to do something extraordinary to get something,” he said.

“The first 15-20 minutes I thought we were excellent and then we kind of feel into ourselves and played some silly passes which we don’t do.

“We put ourselves under pressure and gave them an outlet with the penalty and Ian was fantastic with the save.

“Then you think ‘let’s just see it out to half-time’, and we played a silly pass.

“I hate square passes, especially into the middle. I’m furious with it, I stop it every time in training. I don’t know why people think it’s a pass to do when it’s not.

“We went in at 1-1 but we knew we’d still have opportunities.

“Then the second half came and wow, you don’t expect that. He (Jombati) knows he’s made a mistake and it’s a shame because I don’t think they were causing us too many problems.

“We showed character, we had to make a few changes. I always felt with 10 men we’d still have a chance.

“We knew if we played and waited for our opportunity we’d get something and by all means did we get something.

“The players showed great character and great resilience in the end and we could have even nicked it.”