A missed opportunity. Another one. There have been so many. Too many.

And yet remarkably Oldham Athletic go into Saturday's now penultimate away game of the season at Oxford City STILL with something to play for.

Not that you would know it though. The more the games have started to run out the less manager Micky Mellon has proffered thoughts on the play-offs.

Perhaps it is reverse psychology. If Oldham stop being mentioned maybe they could be this year's team to sneak up on the outside.

Perhaps attention has already switched to next season with this one written off by a run of just one win in 11, using the mistakes made this term and learning from them with the intention of coming back stronger and mounting a sustained promotion challenge.

Either way, there is not the clamour or the urgency that you would expect from a team that is still mathematically capable of finishing in the top seven, no matter how remote it may seem given a winless run that has stretched to eight games with the 1-1 draw with Rochdale.

Last season provides an example of what is possible when a public marker is laid down.

Eyebrows were raised when, in the immediate aftermath of a 5-1 thrashing at Wrexham, then manager David Unsworth told his players to go and win their last six games and end the season strong for the sake of momentum, if nothing else, with Latics too far behind the play-off pack to make a late surge.

It seemed impossible mission on the back of a five game winless run that ended with five goals shipped against a team that went on to be crowned champions. But Oldham almost accomplished it with 14 points from a possible 18 with four wins and two draws in an unbeaten finale.

But this year when Latics have needed wins the most the play-off prospect has been almost publicly played down.

The emphasis on Saturday seemed more on retaining bragging rights in the derby than the broader picture, although admittedly the two would have gone hand in hand.

An early kick-off was the perfect opportunity to put pressure on the teams above them and Latics made the perfect start when Josh Lundstram, restored to the line-up after illness with Tom Conlon struck down by the same bug, cut through the middle on an incisive run and laid the ball off for Hallam Hope to finish expertly across the keeper and into the bottom corner.

With Dan Gardner masterful in midfield Oldham had plenty of possession and chances, but their struggle to press home their advantage and build on it remains an ongoing one, and Rochdale equalised in frustrating fashion from a training ground corner routine that slipped past Mat Hudson without protection at the near post. It looked like an own goal, but Sam Mather was credited with the final touch to make it 1-1 at the break.

And that's how it stayed despite Latics dominating the second half.

A post prevented Andrew Dallas from breaking his duck, Rochdale goalkeeper Jacob Chapman broke timewasting rules and James Norwood broke a corner flag in frustration. But Latics cannot catch a break on this frustrating run.

With the match postponed at Halifax and Gateshead v Aldershot rained off too their play-off challenge, however much they want to play it down, goes into the penultimate weekend.