Oldham 0 Walsall 0 - Report and pictures
[gallery] Walsall took a point from their first away trip of the season after playing out a 0-0 draw at Oldham.
In a game of few chances, Latics striker Lee Erwin came closest to breaking the deadlock at Boundary Park when he headed against the post.
Simeon Jackson had the visitors best chance but saw his shot saved by home keeper Connor Ripley, while record signing Andreas Makris also went close.
Saddlers left-back Rico Henry meanwhile suffered a nasty-looking shoulder injury, which forced him out of the game in the opening half.
The 18-year-old landed awkwardly after making a headed clearance and left the pitch on a stretcher. His injury will be of huge concern to Saddlers boss Jon Whitney, who cut a frustrated figure on a day when his team struggled to gel in attack.
Jackson and Makris' efforts aside, the visitors failed to seriously test Ripley in the home goal and the draw was ultimately a fair result.
Having made a raft of changes for Tuesday's 2-0 League Cup defeat to Yeovil, Whitney reverted to a line-up which bore more resemblance to the one which beat Wimbledon in last Saturday's League One opener.
There was one enforced change, with skipper Adam Chambers having failed to recover in time from a hamstring injury suffered in midweek.
Liam Kinsella replaced the skipper in central midfield while, up front, there was a full debut for summer signing Franck Moussa, with Kieron Morris dropping to the bench.
Despite a bright start, the Saddlers struggled to create chances during a first half in which both defences dominated.
Florent Cuvelier saw an early shot deflected wide, while Moussa had another blocked. Oldham meanwhile had plenty of possession in the final third, without ever seriously testing Saddlers keeper Neil Etheridge. A Billy McKay shot, which sailed over the bar, was their only effort of the half.
Other than that, the main talking point was Henry's injury, which the left-back suffered on landing after making a vital header to clear a Marc Klok free-kick.
He was replaced by Matt Preston, with Jason McCarthy, who had started alongside James O'Connor in the heart of defence, moving to left-back.
Whitney was forced into another change at the break with record signing Andreas Makris replacing Erhun Oztumer and soon the Saddlers were showing more life in attack. Moussa flashed an effort wide from distance before Simeon Jackson forced Ripley into the first save of the game, after latching onto a smart Isaiah Osbourne pass.
Makris was then denied his first ever Saddlers goal by another sharp save from Ripley. The keeper was unable to hold the Cypriot's powerful drive but Cuvelier, following up, could only direct the rebound over the bar.
Having survived the Saddlers spell of pressure, Oldham promptly had one of their own and might have led had McKay been able to direct a swerving Jamie Reckord cross anywhere other than straight at Etheridge.
After McKay had seen another effort blocked by O'Connor, his strike partner Erwin then should have broken the deadlock but headed against the post from six yards out, after Etheridge had failed to hold Ryan Flynn's drive.
Both sides had their moments during the final stages but neither keeper was seriously tested as the game petered out into a draw.
Oldham (4-1-4-1): Ripley, Law, Burgess, Clarke ©, Reckord, Fane (Banks 70), Erwin (Osei 83), Klok (McLaughlin 63), Green, Flynn, McKay Subs not used: Croft, Edmundson, Woodland, Kettings (gk).
Saddlers (4-2-3-1): Etheridge, Edwards, O'Connor ©, McCarthy, Henry (Preston 30), Osbourne, Kinsella, Moussa, Oztumer (Makris HT), Cuvelier (Bakayoko 82), Jackson Subs not used: Dobson, Morris, Ginnelly, MacGillivray (gk).
