There are, of course, the immediate consequences for the individuals involved.

Both Kai Payne and Kane Drummond now have red cards against their names for incidents that, in the eyes of many observers, did not warrant a card of any colour.

The pair will miss League Two trips to Northampton Town and Barnsley, as well as Sunday's FA Cup first round tie against Sheffield Wednesday.

For Payne, it is particularly cruel. Having worked his way back into the starting XI, he had impressed at Barnet and looked ready to build on that momentum.

Drummond's dismissal was equally frustrating. Rewarded with a start against Crawley after a lively display off the bench at The Hive, he had earned his opportunity. It was cut short before it ever had the chance to develop.

Their combined absence for more than an hour left Oldham fighting an uphill battle. The two-man disadvantage eventually told, contributing to a defeat that leaves Latics with just one league win in 10 matches.

Yet the fallout extended beyond the two players sent off.

Favour Fawunmi was finding form having impressed in a goalscoring performance against Cheltenham last month, and shining again in miserable conditions during the draw at Barnet. But once Latics were reduced to 10 men, let alone nine, attacking ambition made way for organisation and solidity. Fawunmi's afternoon lasted only 18 minutes before he was sacrificed for Tom Pett.

On the flip side, the absence of Payne and Drummond will provide the opportunity for other individual to stake their claim for a regular place in the team.

But it is not the first time referee David Rock has found himself at the centre of controversy involving Oldham Athletic.

Remarkably, only one of his last four Latics appointments has not featured an Oldham red card.

At Harrogate Town last season, Ryan Woods was dismissed after two bookings and the decision stood, while in the same game Rock accused Oli Hammond of play-acting when the midfielder had in fact suffered a dislocated shoulder.

At Newport County in the penultimate game of the campaign, Mike Fondop was shown a red card that was later overturned on appeal.

And, incidentally, Rock was fourth official at Colchester when Gus Scott-Morriss was sent off, only for that decision to be rescinded as well.

The rejection of both Oldham appeals this week has only deepened the sense of grievance.

But if there is one thing Micky Mellon will not allow, it is self-pity.

His pre-match press conference ahead of tonight's trip to Northampton carried the tone of a rallying cry.

"We know it's us, all of us - the supporters, the owners, the players, the staff - it's us - because we all play beneath that badge. It's us against everybody else now!," Mellon said.

"We're not going to get any help from anybody now. We are not going to get that help.

"But that effort from all of us, to make sure we stand up and say 'no, we're not having it, we are going to make sure that we in every game represent this town properly' whether that be as a supporter or a player or management staff, get behind this football club properly and let's go and give it all we've got, let's take it on, let's go for it, let's say 'we're not having it'.

"We will take this on together. I want to keep remembering that and go and attack that."

The injustice has ignited a siege mentality.

Yet Mellon believes there was something far more powerful to emerge from Saturday afternoon than frustration over refereeing decisions.

The manager repeatedly returned to the atmosphere generated by Oldham supporters during the defeat. For him, the scenes at Boundary Park provided a reminder of exactly what football means to a town, and club, that has endured so much.

"The supporters were immense on Saturday. 'Stand up if you love Oldham'... just an amazing moment where everything just connected," he reflected.

"And you've seen the response that we got from it, and suddenly nothing else mattered to me. It didn't matter.

"If somebody says to me what football is all about, that was a big part of why you do football, the connectivity between a group of fans who have gone through so much for their football club, players responding to that, and vice versa getting each other going, in a really difficult moment for the team, it just showed you what football's all about.

"I know football's tough and there hasn't been a great deal to shout about this season. There hasn't. But we're working hard to try and do that. And it's never about me, it's about how I'm trying to get this group to give us more memories.

"But that was a memory on Saturday. I think it was a really special moment and I was very grateful to be a part of that.

"So that's what I take out of Saturday. All the other stuff is very disappointing, I get that. But it was the values of the people of Oldham revving up, like they have to do all the time, and showing those qualities of fight, togetherness, resilience, support through a game of football, was amazing.

"It was special."

The sense of injustice remains. It will not restore Payne or Drummond to availability; it will not change the result, nor the league table. But if Mellon's message is any indication, Oldham Athletic intend to channel their anger into determination rather than resentment.