Oldham's Battle

The machine will bore 160,000 holes - one inch wide and 12 inches deep - into the pitch and filled with sand to help the drainage. The north-west forecast for today and tomorrow is far from promising, before improving on Saturday. "The pitch is going to be heavy, if it gets the go-ahead that is," explained Swansea assistant manager Alan Curtis. "It means it is going to be another battle. "But everyone is buoyed by the result and, more importantly, the performance against Bristol City on Tuesday. "Now we've got to strive for consistency because we are still in the wrong half of the table. We feel we've got enough in the camp to do that, but we've got to produce Tuesday's performance week in week out." Swansea's preparations for Saturday's trip have also been disrupted by the weather. "It has been difficult trying to find somewhere to train," added Curtis. "We've been using the new astro-turf in Townhill, but we would prefer to train on softer ground. "We haven't even been able to use the beach because we'll probably be blown out to sea."

Photo: Action Images via Reuters