Calum Kavanagh scored twice in the second half to send Oldham to a 2-0 opening-day victory over relegated Port Vale at Boundary Park, kicking off the Latics' League Two campaign in style.
Kavanagh, who joined from Bradford in January and managed two goals in 10 outings last term, netted a double inside a 15-minute spell to settle the contest in Oldham's favour.
The breakthrough arrived on 60 minutes when Port Vale were caught napping by a swiftly taken free-kick from Ollie Norburn. Kavanagh, capped at Republic of Ireland under-21 level, latched onto the ball and burst clear before finding the bottom corner past goalkeeper Jackson Smith.
Kavanagh then doubled his tally and Oldham's lead in the 75th minute. Mike Fondop attempted an acrobatic overhead kick from Keenan Appiah-Forson's cross, and although the effort was drifting wide, it dropped kindly for Kavanagh, who tucked away a low finish.
At the other end, Oldham stopper Matt Hudson picked up where he left off last season, when he set a club record with 19 clean sheets, keeping another blank sheet on the opening day of the new campaign.
Port Vale, who now carry pop star Robbie Williams as their shirt sponsor, offered little going forward and rarely tested Hudson. Their most notable opportunity came from Jordan Lawrence-Gabriel, whose 35-yard strike flashed just past the post.
Season openers elsewhere
The clash formed part of the opening round of the 2026/27 League Two campaign, with all opening weekend fixtures broadcast live on Sky Sports+, according to Sky Sports. Port Vale went into the game having just come down from League One, per the same report.
Sky Sports later published video highlights of the match, according to Sky Sports.
What happens next
Port Vale's own club website lists their trip to Boundary Park as taking place on 15 August 2026, with the Valiants due to return home to face Tranmere Rovers on 22 August 2026, according to Port Vale's official site. That fixture has been selected for live broadcast on Sky Sports+ with a 12:30pm kick-off, the club confirmed.
Port Vale's website described the visit to Oldham as the opening match of their season following relegation, ahead of that home return the following week, per the same source.
