Latics 3 – 0 Notts County: Another top team, another shellacking

What a night, what a game, what a season. Latics are authoring records, upending the league table, becoming that one team who emerge from the depths while others – Notts County among them – falter.

LATICS 3

Drummond 5, Fondop 56, 69

NOTTS COUNTY 0

7,701 (1,101)

James Norwood tells a story about Micky Mellon’s time managing Tranmere Rovers to successive promotions from the National League to League One. Over the course of the season, Mellon’s team talks get shorter and shorter until he’s sending his team out with just one instruction: “Just win.”

Are Latics on the same path? You wouldn’t bet against them just now. Kane Drummond’s goal from a simple, devastating counter-attack after just five minutes set up the game for Latics. There were just five touches from two Latics players from box to box – two from Kai Payne and three from Drummond. If you look closely, there was serious malice aforethought in the attack. Payne was poised to win any kind of clearance from the Notts County free kick into the Latics box. Drummond had come back from the halfway line not to defend, but to give himself a running start on the County full-back. Having played Drummond through, Payne put on the afterburners and was up there to apply the finishing touch, along with Jack Stevens. Drummond was fine on his own.

County were outmatched and rattled. Their persistent fouling meant it was only a matter of time before they were down to 10 men. Oliver Norburn’s first and second yellow cards were born of pure frustration at the game passing him by – not to mention the rest of the County midfield.

Mike Fondop supplied the coup de grâce. Again, the goal came on the counter, this time from a County corner, no less. When Jamie Robson emerged with the ball from the Latics area, there were options all over the place – that’s how quick Latics were. Payne, running at top speed, fed Stevens, also at top speed. Stevens slipped the ball back to Payne, who

was in the area. He brought the ball inside twice to take County defenders out of the game. His shot was saved, but Fondop, who was on the Latics goal-line when the corner was taken, was there to fire in the rebound.

There was no way back for County, who were in an invidious position. They didn’t want the ball in their half and they didn’t want it in Latics’ half either. Lucas Ness gave Fondop his second goal on the night as a result. He passed it back towards James Belshaw in the County goal, palming off the decision of whether to go back or forward to his goalkeeper. Ness’s ball never had enough on it, Fondop collected, drew Lewis Macari in and fired it through his legs past Belshaw.

There were still 20-odd minutes to go, but Latics don’t seem to press for four and five. Enough is as good as a feast. Just win.

Oldham Athletic: Mat Hudson, Jamie Robson, Manny Monthé, Donervon Daniels, Will Sutton, Kai Payne, Ryan Woods (Oli Hammond 75), Tom Pett (c), Jack Stevens (Josh Hawkes 75), Mike Fondop (Joe Garner 84), Kane Drummond (Kane Taylor 84)

Subs not used: Tom Donaghy, Dynel Simeu, Jake Leake

Notts County: James Belshaw, Jacob Bedeau, Oliver Norburn, Jodi Jones (Keanan Bennetts 57), Conor Grant (Lee Ndlovu HT), Lucas Ness, Tom Iorpenda, Matt Palmer (c) (Harald Nilsen Tangen 75), Nick Tsaroulla (Luke Browne 58), Alassana Jatta (Matthew Dennis 75)

Subs not used: Harry Griffiths, Jayden Luker