After goals from Ashley Nadesan, George Francomb and Tom Nichols, the Reds picked up three points on the road in an impressive team performance at Oldham's Boundary Park.
It was the hosts that started the brighter of the two sides and they carved out a dangerous chance within the first two minutes. David Kellor-Dunn linked up well with Conor McAleny before firing at goal, but his shot was wild and sailed past the post.
The Reds began to settle into the game and enjoyed the larger share of possession in the opening ten minutes. Tyler Frost looked sharp on the right and he earned himself a shot at goal after a quick Reds counter but his effort sailed just over the bar.
It was the hosts who recorded the first shot on target and it forced a terrific save from Glenn Morris. McAleny was again looking sharp and following a Latics corner, found himself free in the box with room to unleash a strike which Morris did brilliantly to deal with, scrambling down to his left.
The hosts began to really settle back into the fixture following early Reds pressure and found themselves ahead on the half hour mark. Robert Grant found himself with plenty of space on the right wing and lofted a delightful ball into the Reds box which found the head of an unmarked Danny Rowe who simply nodded past a helpless Glenn Morris.
The Reds reacted instantly to going down and were level within a minute of the hosts taking the lead. Tarryn Allarakhia did brilliantly to beat his man on the wing before sliding a delightful drilled pass into the six-yard box which Ashley Nadesan gratefully tapped home to level the score.
The Reds really began to take control of the game following the equaliser and quickly found themselves ahead with a potential goal of the season contender. Nice play on the edge of the Oldham penalty area allowed Ferguson and Nadesan to link up, the ball was poked into the feet of skipper George Francomb, who needed no invitation to set the ball out of his feet and unleash a wonderstrike into the top corner.
The hosts almost found themselves level with the last kick of the first half. Former Salford centre-back Carl Piergianni headed towards goal from a Latics corner but a combination of Tom Nichols and the woodwork made sure the Reds went into the interval ahead.
The Latics looked to start the half the way they finished the first, attacking the Reds goal. Second half substitute George Blackwood whipped a dangerous ball into the box and if it was not for the diving head of Tony Craig making a vital touch, Danny Rowe would have almost certainly scored his second of the game.
Just as they did in the first half the Reds soaked up early pressure from the hosts and built their way into the half. After a five minute spell of consistent possession the Reds got a deserved third goal through Tom Nichols. George Francomb did brilliantly to touch down a cleared Allarakhia cross before skipping past his man and floating a delightful ball to the far post, where Nichols did excellently to beat his man and head into the far corner.
The visitors responded quickly with a goal of their own to reduce the Reds advantage. A carbon copy of the Reds first goal with McAleny on the end of the cross to bring the hosts back into the game. The hosts should have been level minutes after scoring their second goal. McAleny again involved in the thick of it sliding in Dylan Fage who had time and space but could do no better than curl into the arms of Morris.
The hosts thought they had an equaliser in dying embers of the game Whelan used great composure to fake a shot sending Crawley defenders sliding across the deck which left him time to shoot but he blazed his effort over the bar. The Reds held on for the remaining minutes to claim their first victory on the road in over a year.
Reds XI: Morris; Francomb ©, Tunnicliffe, Craig, Doherty; Frost, Bulman (Hessenthaler 52’), Ferguson (Powell 65’), Allarakhia; Nadesan, Nichols (German 78’)
