OLD PALS ACT INSPIRE NORS

Goal ace at home with duo

- Matt Badcock

JAMES NORWOOD joked that reuniting with former Tranmere Rovers bosses Micky Mellon and Gary Brabin is like playing for his Dads again – and the Oldham Athletic striker says being one happy family can fire their promotion charge.

The 33-year-old showed his class at Barnet on Tuesday night, scoring twice and assisting two more in their 4-1 win over the second-placed Bees.

It took the former England C captain into double figures for the season since joining in the summer from League One Barnsley.

But it also displayed a new maturity to his game that has been honed since he was last seen in NonLeague scampering across Wembley’s turf to celebrate his winner for Tranmere in the 2018 National League Promotion final.

That success — and their follow-up League Two promotion — came under Mellon, who took over at the misfiring Latics just over a month ago.

And Norwood is enjoying life under the gaffer that played a big part in a career that took him to the Championship with Ipswich Town and then Barnsley.