OLDHAM saw two players sent off inside one first-half minute in what proved a shocking half for the League Two side.
The bizarre scenes in their clash against Mansfield meant that by the break they were down to nine men and trailing 3-1.
Having just conceded two Nicky Maynard goals in three minutes, Oldham lost their heads to see two red cards in a bonkers 37th minute.
As Neal Bishop played the ball forward to Mal Benning he was hit late by a silly challenge from Filipe Morais on halfway.
Even as the referee looked at that, Benning was scythed down by a nasty-looking tackle from Tomas Egert as the pass reached him.
A straight red card came out immediately for Egert before Lee Swabey ran back to Morais to show a second yellow card and leave Paul Scholes’ old side threadbare.
Morais had been booked for a foul on Benning just four minutes earlier – the game’s first.
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Still the game had more twists and turns.
Just six minutes later a poor attempt to cut out a cross by Mansfield’s Conrad Logan gifted an easy finish to Tom Hamer to bring the nine men of Oldham back into the contest.
But in the fourth and final added minute Maynard restored Mansfield’s two-goal lead as he rounded Gary Woods to roll home and complete a first half hat-trick.