Latics 3 – 1 Tranmere Rovers: Mellon shows qualities to bag a second hat-trick for Latics

A perfect Michael Mellon hat-trick – header, right foot, left foot – was a wonderful way for Latics to end a momentous year at Boundary Park.

OLDHAM ATHLETIC 2

Mellon 31, 46, 60

TRANMERE ROVERS 1

Whitaker 39

8,838 (1,792)

Latics boss Micky Mellon went to the well once more to sign his son Michael on a season-long loan from Burnley after Latics started the season noticeably light up front in both quality and bodies. The move was fraught – is still fraught – with difficulty, even if we leave aside the problem of the dwindling well.

Will father be able to drop son in lean times? Can Mellon Jnr earn the respect of the hardened pros who make up the majority of the Latics squad? Will the experienced players vying for a position with the manager’s son take umbrage if they are not preferred? Father and son relationships can be strained even if the two don’t work with one another, never mind if they work together in the pressure cooker of professional football.

These questions go away when Mellon scores and return in updated and diluted forms when he does not. You’d have to say that, as of right now, the Mellons and everyone else are making it work.

Mellon’s hat-trick was a showreel of his best qualities. The first, on 21 minutes, came from his craftiness and movement, losing his man before cutting across him to meet a Jake Caprice cross and heading in from five yards. His second also came from a Caprice cross, which Tranmere’s centre backs allowed to bounce along the box 12 yards out. Mellon showed his composure and poise to tame it and bring it under control with his chest, before swivelling and smashing it right-footed into the far corner on the half-volley.

Mellon’s third was another banger, this time based on one of the traditional virtues of centre-forward play, namely being where the opportunity is and not somewhere else. Mike Fondop had just come on when he curled a shot round Joe Murphy in the Tranmere goal. It came back off the post and Mellon, like all good strikers, was there. Just there. Not over there, or over there. Just right there where the ball was, in the box, looking at an empty net, into which he neatly tucked the ball left-footed. Perfection.

The perfect hat-trick is left, right, in any order, but Mellon’s hat-trick was all about quality: smart movement for the first, poise and skill for the second, and sixth-sense opportunism for the third. Alas, Mellon was not rewarded with goals for other qualities he showed before he was substituted on 83 minutes to get his standing ovation.

He showed pace and aggression breaking down the left moments after Mike Fondop had been sent off. A number of times this season he’s been bullied off the ball by defenders chasing him back towards their own goal. Not this time. Mellon outpaced and held off his man, turned and slid the ball perfectly to Pett. Joe Murphy produced one of a number of top saves – aged 44 years young – to deny Latics.

In between times, Tranmere had equalised through a free-kick towards the end of the first half to set up a terrific second half. Both sides played their part, but Latics, and Mellon in particular, were a cut above on the day. It could have gone either way – the sides were evenly matched, but the difference was Michael Mellon.

Also in between times, Fondop got a straight red for something or other (dissent is favourite because he’d just given away a free-kick). But today was all about Mellon Jnr.

Latics’ 10 men defended stoutly to see the game out, which will have pleased Mellon Snr almost as much as his son’s hat-trick. That last bit isn’t true is it?

Oldham Athletic: Mat Hudson, Reagan Ogle, Jake Leake(Jamie Robson HT), Tom Pett (c), Donervon Daniels, Manny Monthé, Ryan Woods, Jack Stevens (Jake Caprice 28), Joe Garner (Mike Fondop 59), Kai Payne, Michael Mellon (Kane Drummond 83)

Subs not used: Tom Donaghy, Oli Hammond, Dynel Simeu

Tranmere Rovers: Joe Murphy, Jordan Turnbull (Patrick Brough HT), Nathan Smith, Richie Smallwood, Charlie Whitaker, Kristian Dennis (Connor Jennings 65), Jayden Joseph, Ethan Bristow, Billy Blacker (Sam Finley 65), Joe Ironside (Josh Davison 65), Aaron McGowan

Subs not used: Jack Barrett, Cameron Norman, Patrick Brough, Nohan Kenneh