 Colbeck's Oldham debut at the end of the same week finished in a 3–0 defeat for his new team to Hartlepool United.Although described as a "tireless worker", some of his performances angered Oldham's fans, with Colbeck unable to "stamp his authority on games" and his "lack of quality" to deliver a final cross.In what was his first game for more than a month, Colbeck scored his first Oldham goal in a 4–2 defeat to Swindon Town on 9 February 2010.