IT has been said of Carl Piergianni that if he left the pitch with the ball sponsor’s name tattooed on his head no-one would be surprised, such are the times his headers clear the danger.

Certainly that was the case after Latics fought out a gritty goalless draw against fellow strugglers Carlisle United at Brunton Park.

The Oldham Athletic captain was missing on Tuesday night when his side conceded two sloppy goals in a 3-1 home defeat to Walsall, but with his one match ban served he returned alongside Jordan Clarke and Harrison McGahey. Together they were able to blunt a home attack spearheaded by former Latics striker Lewis Alessandra and Zach Clough, once of Bolton, Wigan and Rochdale.

It said much for the performance of Keith Curle’s back three that Clough forced the only save Jayson Leutwiler had to make when he turned his free kick away for a corner in the first half. Apart from that it was Oldham who created the clearer chances.

Curle enjoyed four relatively happy seasons in charge of Carlisle, and he gave a start to another returning favourite Hallam Hope, although the pantomime booing of Hope every time he touched the ball showed what the home support now thought of him.

Hope was one of three changes made by Curle as he gave youth a chance. Harry Vaughan is only 18 and up against experienced defenders he sometimes looked overwhelmed, but when he was substituted just past the hour Curle resisted the temptation to bring on Zak Dearnley, opting instead to give teenager Vani Da Silva a chance.

On the other side of midfield Benny Couto continued to show maturity way beyond his years, with his long throws and in-swinging corners a constant threat. He was even booked for a foul on Carlisle’s Jordan Gibson.

After the match Latics’ head coach confirmed what we already knew, that he’s not afraid to give youth their opportunity, and with the transfer embargo still in place that may have to be the way ahead.

Was it in fact two points dropped rather than a point gained? Davis Keillor-Dunn will think so as he had the two best chances of the game.

In the first half his shot from distance rattled the angle of post and bar before coming out to Jamie Bowden. The Spurs loanee turned the rebound into the net, only for the assistant referee to raise his flag and disallow it for offside. Replays showed this to be an incorrect decision, but Curle was philosophical about that, calling it an honest mistake from the officials.

In the second half, Keillor-Dunn almost produced a sublime piece of opportunism, lobbing the ball from halfway and forcing Carlisle goalkeeper Mark Howard to back pedal furiously to turn the ball away for a corner.

However determined the performance though, one of the lasting images will be of the Latics banners behind the goal demonstrating against owner Abdallah Lemsagam.

Over 400 fans had made the journey to Cumbria and they never stopped singing their protest songs and banging a drum. You feel they deserve better and that Curle is still having to manage with one hand behind his back.

The point keeps Latics out of the bottom two, but with Scunthorpe winning the gap at the bottom is narrowing.

Curle knows the problem is that they are not incisive enough in the box, and he said as much after the game.

However, as a central defender himself he knows that as long as Piergiani keeps on putting in performances like he did here, then they will keep clean sheets, and that is at least a start.