OLDHAM boss Andy Ritchie has responded to claims of gamesmanship by Bury's Andy Preece by fighting fire with fire.

Preece was furious after Latics Matthew Tipton failed to properly return the ball to Bury after the Shakers had kicked the ball out of play to allow Oldham defender Shaun Garnett to receive treatment for a head injury.

Tipton threw the ball to Chris Armstrong but immediately, and unsportingly, charged the defender down.

Bury failed to clear their lines and shortly afterwards Oldham grabbed a late, late equaliser to draw 1-1.

Preece blasted Tipton for his behaviour.

But Latics boss Andy Ritchie, not surprisingly, had a different take on the incident.

"They didn't bother giving us the ball back when Tony Carss went down and they nearly scored from that," said Ritchie.

"If Bury want to speak about it then that's fine but I don't want to comment."

Ritchie also supported the referee, Mike Fletcher, who played approximately eight extra minutes at the end of the match.

With virtually the last kick, Tipton scored.

Again Preece wasn't too impressed with all the time added on while Ritchie was more than happy with the referee's watch.

"We've had the same thing working against us," he said. "We've conceded goals in the 94th and 95th minute of matches. You have to play until the final whistle blows. Sometimes we haven't done that but we did on Saturday and we reaped the benefits of it."

Ritchie did, however, have some sympathy for Steve Redmond, who was shown the red card for an alleged elbow on Mark Allott.

"I thought Steve was unlucky but he was the last man and in the laws of the game he probably had to go," said the Oldham boss.

"There's no common sense these days. I think that changed the game."

However, true to form, the managers again disagreed on the match as a whole.

While Preece thought the Shakers should have won at a canter in the second half, Ritchie said his side deserved all three points and should have had the match wrapped up by half time!

Who said managers never agree.