Accrington Stanley scored three first half goals to celebrate a Carabao Cup Preliminary Round victory over Oldham Athletic at the Wham Stadium.
Anjola Popoola, Kelsey Mooney and Josh Woods were on target for the Reds.
They will now face League One Peterborough United at home next Tuesday in the First Round.
John Doolan switched around his squad giving Southampton loan goalkeeper Ollie Wright and summer signing defender Freddie Sass their Stanley debuts while Finlay Tunstall was making his first full Accrington start. There were nine changes from Saturday’s opening Sky Bet League Two draw with Gillingham with only Farrend Rawson and Devon Matthews starting both.
Former Stanley Academy player Reagan Ogle was in defence for Oldham.
Stanley struck on 10 minutes when a Mooney cross was fired home at the far post by Popoola. It was the teenager’s second goal for the Reds.
Soon after Mooney’s close-range effort hit the back of the net but it was ruled out for handball.
It was two on 17 minutes when Charlie Brown’s free kick was headed back across the goal by Rawson and Mooney was there to tap the ball over the line.
Oldham enjoyed a spell of pressure with their best chance coming on 32 minutes with Luke Hannant rifling the ball over the bar.
Stanley made it three on 34 minutes – the Reds were already claiming the ball had crossed the line when Tom Donaghy couldn’t keep hold of Seamus Conneely cross. The ball was hooked clear and it came out to Josh Woods who rifled home from 20 yards.
Brown’s looping strike on 42 minutes wasn’t far off the top corner of the net in a dominant first half for the Reds.
Early in the second half, a Josh Hawkes free kick was well held by Wright as Oldham came out on the attack.
They scored on 62 minutes when Ogle’s long-range strike took a deflection to wrong-foot Wright.
Latics were pressing and Charlie Caton and Tyler Walton came on to try and turn the tide back in Stanley’s favour with Josh Woods lashing a shot just wide.
Ogle struck from distance again on 75 minutes, the ball going narrowly wide, but Wright wasn’t overly troubled.
Stanley were dangerous on the break with Saturday’s goalscorer Walton firing across the goal and just wide in the 88th minute.
Ogle had another go, firing over in added time as Stanley secured a strong cup win.
Stanley: Wright, Matthews, Rawson, Sass, Brown (Coyle), Conneely (Love), Henderson (Sinclair), Tunstall, Popoola (Caton), Mooney (Walton), J Woods
Subs: Rogerson
Crowd: 2042 (1076 Oldham)
Yellow: Brown, Love
Share