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Chris received a warm reception from the fans as he made his way to the dug out but it left centre stage to others and certainly the watching Eddie Howe must have been impressed with the performances of striker Wes Fletcher and midfielder McKee in particular.
Fletcher looked sharp throughout, despite this being his first run out since returning from his loan at Stockport, whilst McKee played ever so well in the midfield where he got precious little support from loan player Louis-Rae Beadle. Joe's still an apprentice and he certainly did no harm to his hopes of winning a professional deal with this performance.
Having said that, the reserves are at their best when Chris Anderson and Alex-Ray Harvey are running the midfield but Chris has been ruled out for the season with a hair line fracture in his foot and Alex is currently out on loan at Fleetwood and made his debut for them as a substitute last Saturday.
With other players also out on loan it meant night's team was made up of 5 young professionals, 5 apprentices plus the one trialist.
They say goals change games and that was very much the case last night and it was Oldham who struck first after Burnley had started the game so well. The Oldham goalkeeper had already been forced into one save from Michael King and Fletcher was causing them real problems.
But, against the run of play, it was Oldham who went in front with just 13 minutes on the clock. It was all down to the pace of their left back Robert McGrady who got through down the left and crossed for Ryan Burns to turn in from close range at the far post.
It certainly changed the game. Gone was the bright football we'd started the game with and in the next period we could probably count ourselves fortunate not to have gone further behind.
It was virtually all Oldham, but then the game changed again with a goal as the Clarets equalised. Curtis Woods, playing at left back, got down the flank and crossed for Dominic Knowles. He looked a certain scorer but somehow goalkeeper Shaun Routledge kept it out. But there was Fletcher to hammer the ball back.
Again things changed and for the remainder of the first half we were very much in the ascendancy and by half time could count ourselves somewhat unfortunate not to go in with a lead.
It was similar at the start of the second half and coach Ash Hoskin made his first change just eight minutes in. From the moment McCann got up to move to the touchline the applause started and increased as his number 15 was held up and he made his way on.
Four minutes later we were deservedly in front although he played no part in the goal. Chris Lynch played an excellent ball out to Fletcher on the left. Wes played the ball in for McKee who took it past a defender and hit a right foot shot into the bottom corner.
Just a few minutes later Fletcher was replaced by Joe Jackson but the Clarets continued to push forward and only the goalkeeper's legs prevented Jackson increasing the lead after a fantastic piece of skill from the youth team striker.
A Burnley win was looking certain but indecision at the back let Oldham in for an equaliser with 16 minutes remaining but it was a brilliant finish by Oldham's Ben Stevens.
That led to Oldham gaining the initiative again but It all looked set to end in a draw before Oldham's defender James Tarkowski took the game into his own hands. In the last minute of normal time he stroked home a winner and then got away with the most outrageous of handballs at the other end as Burnley fought for an equaliser.
As for McCann. He did OK and certainly was involved in a few challenges either way. He's a long way from fitness but that you'd expect. Having come through this game he'll hopefully get a longer run out next week. And that's a massive positive.
The teams were;
Burnley: Josh Cook, Dean Overson, Nik Kudiersky (Neil Yadolahi 75), Chris Lynch, Curtis Woods, Ross Wilson, Joe McKee, Louis-Rae Beadle (Chris McCann 53), Michael King, Dominic Knowles, Wes Fletcher (Joe Jackson 60). Subs not used: Craig Mawson, Ed Williams, Steven Hewitt, James Taylor.
Oldham: Shaun Routledge, Carl Winchester, Robert McGrady, Henry Stephen, Matt D Carr, James Tarkowski, Ryan Burns (Jack Laird 62), Medi Abalimba, Kirk Millar, Ben Stevens, Lewis Alessandra. Subs not used: Greg Kidd, Dale Connor, Matt A Carr, Sam Fitzgerald.