Rochdale 2-0 Oldham Athletic result, stats and report

Stoke City progressed in the Carabao Cup with a controlled 2-0 victory over Oldham Athletic, with an own goal and a late right-foot finish doing the damage. The numbers told the cleaner story, but the pattern behind the result was more instructive than the scoreline.

Bradford City saw off Rochdale 2-0 in the Carabao Cup first round, but a conversion rate that should embarrass a Sunday league side means the margin of victory flatters no one. The result is the result. The performance is a different conversation.

Oldham Athletic rounded off their League Two campaign in style with a dominant 3-0 home win over Accrington Stanley, sending their fans home with something to smile about on the final day.

Oldham Athletic and Salford City served up a match packed with incident at Boundary Park, but the details that matter most remain frustratingly unclear. Connor Maguire gives his verdict on what we can and cannot say.

Bradford City open their Carabao Cup campaign at home to Rochdale on Saturday, carrying the weight of a difficult domestic run into a competition where cup football has a habit of producing surprises.