Latics Diary: End-of-season games how they should be; Drummond radio silence

That’s how it’s done, right? Latics ran out 0-3 winners at the Priestfield stadium after a terrific performance, full of attacking verve, clever football and superb defending. Gillingham played their part too – Bradley Dack got the champagne moment award for his pass in the second half to put Ronan Hale through one-on-one with Manny Monthé, which led to one of four stand-out saves from Mat Hudson in the Latics net.

Monthé, Donervon Daniels and Hudson were brilliant on Saturday, showing that if there are gaps because the midfield are piling forward, they can stand up and shut out.

Hudson is emblematic of a club on the up. He is surely destined for League One and even the Championship, with or without Latics. On the plus side, on the evidence of the January transfer window, Latics are in a financial position to make good on their assets (if that’s not too cold). The time was when the club would sell players for way below market value because the immediate financial situation demanded it. Not anymore. That’s what off-the-pitch stability looks like.

Hudson could be player of this season for his personal accumulation of points (he gets three more from Saturday because he made four brilliant saves and Latics scored only three). He might even be player of next season playing for someone else if a hefty sum accrues to the Boundary Park recruitment department.

DRUMMOND RADIO SILENCE

Is it just me? No, it isn’t. In Friday’s match preview column, I reported on, and expressed concerns about, Kane Drummond’s appearance at Liverpool Crown court last week. He was appearing to explain why his suspended 20-month jail sentence for grievous bodily harm should not be activated. The sentence was suspended in May for 18 months. Drummond had not attended court-ordered unpaid work appointments or rehabilitation days, and was in very great peril of going into custody right there and then.

Peter Becker, Drummond’s lawyer, argued that Drummond “understands that his commitments to his football club are no excuse as to why he's not complying with the orders of the court,” but directly contradicted himself in his very next utterance, when he said: “His concern was that if he failed to attend training, he would be in trouble with the club, he would be dropped from the team, and he wouldn't be able to play.”

That’s fair enough as a lawyerly ruse – maybe not fair, but not uncommon. (I don’t use my visit to the pub as an excuse for not washing up, but then again I couldn’t do the washing up from the pub could I?)

Having been mentioned in court by Drummond’s lawyer, the club made no comment, even after I invited them (twice) to make one. It wasn’t a passing mention either.

Drummond’s lawyer, in terms, argued that Drummond felt under pressure from the club to prioritise his job as a player at the expense of his duty to society. That’s news, people – all day, every day – and the club has questions to answer, such as: did the club put pressure on Kane Drummond not to attend appointments? Or: why did Kane Drummond feel that he was under pressure from the club to the point where he did not bother with the requirements of the Court’s suspended sentence orders? But no. Nothing. Not even something boring like, “the club is aware of the situation and will not be commenting further.”

The club owes it to fans to be more open, either by answering perfectly reasonable questions from widely read correspondents such as myself, or by issuing a statement or two on matters it might otherwise like to keep quiet. It’s not a question of not liking it or of feeling uncomfortable or whatever. It’s a duty and an obligation. No more, no less.

Drummond has until April to show willing with his suspended sentence obligations or he’s off to HMP Walton for 20 months.

Interestingly, Drummond’s court appearance was not covered in the Oldham Times, the only print press organisation with accreditation that allows them to report on matches and press engagements from Boundary Park and other grounds where Latics are playing. Make of that what you will.

If you want impartial, high-quality, engaged and inquisitive coverage of Oldham Athletic football club and adjacent matters, you’re in the right place. Thank you for reading. I appreciate it.

Oldham Athletic did not respond to my request for comment not because they don’t like or respect me, but because they don’t like or respect you.