Prior to last Saturday, we’d never beaten FC Halifax. I for one would like to thank our friends from over the Pennines for their incredible generosity in putting that right.
Post match, Will Sutton said that he thought we made a slow start, which says more about how high he’s setting the bar for himself and his team than it does about our performance. We took the lead in the 10th minute, when a lovely well-worked passing move culminated in Lundstram crossing the ball into the box for Fondop to tap it in. They made it look easy, and Halifax were about to make our job a lot easier.
In a first half when Halifax had few chances, they should have done better with their free kick on the edge of our penalty area, and the shot ended up in the hospital car park.
The second goal was pretty funny. Fondop threaded the ball through to the excellent Drummond, who terrorised the Halifax defence all afternoon. He took it past the on-rushing keeper, played it across the box, and a Halifax player helpfully gave the ball to Lundstram, who tapped it in to double our lead.
The third was even funnier. Fondop, whose work rate was phenomenal, bravely chased down the keeper as he was about to play the ball out, nicked it off him, turned, and put it away into the empty net. It’s what Jesus would have done.
By now, we were cruising. At one point we made about 40 successful passes before Halifax managed to put it out for a throw in. Which made it all the more frustrating when our sloppy defending let Halifax claw a goal back. Monthe was excellent again but bloody hell, lad, don’t show the attacking player your number.
It didn’t matter. The game was over before half time, and the fourth goal might have been the funniest. Will Sutton capped off a glorious return to the team by making a marauding run down the right and played the ball across goal, and Scott High’s chaotic attempt at a clearance squirmed under the hapless keeper in at the near post.
I love Sutton's expression here. Combination of delighted and a bit embarrassed to celebrate.
The Shaymen’s heads had gone, and it was a shame we took our foot off the gas in the second half, because we had the chance to absolutely humiliate them. To their credit, Halifax made some good substitutions and gave it a fair go. The defence had a lot more work to do, but were, on the whole, solid – Sutton was MOTM, Raglan looked assured, and Monthe just looks so cool, doesn’t he,? His height means he can cover the same ground as the player he’s marking with half the strides, and it just looks really languid and chilled. “yeah yeah, you go ahead and sprint for that ball, I’ll just stroll down the pitch and beat you to it. “
It was disappointing to once again concede from a set piece, with poor marking at a free kick leaving Cummings free to head it past Hudson. The game had long since been won, though, and what a thoroughly enjoyable, and hilarious, afternoon it was.
Mellon, while pleased with the performance and the result, started off by saying how unhappy he was with how we defended second half. Kind of like that, to be honest. Don’t let them rest on their laurels. He spoke about how he wanted to make amends for the Solihull game – “Am I allowed to say pissed off? I was pissed off with Saturday” – and wants us to start on the front foot, be aggressive, and defend better.
He was positively gushing (especially by his standards) about Kane Drummond, and rightly so: “I love him, I love his style of play, I love the type of guy he is, he’s always got a big smile on his face, he’s one of they players that you want to manage... “ If he keeps scaring the shit out of defenders like he did against Halifax, he’s certainly a player we want to see more of.
Mellon also spoke highly of Fondop’s character to come back from missing a hatful of chances against Solihull to get two goals, Lundstram's performance – “as good a midfield display as you’ll see”- and the interviewer couldn’t finish the question about Sutton before he cut him off with “man of the match by a country mile.....brilliant at everything”.
And it was just lovely to see Sutton so happy, wasn’t it? He was visibly delighted in the post match interviews, and you could see in the pitch how pleased his teammates were for him. Raglan showed true leadership, applauding him when he made a good clearance, and everyone wanted to give him a big hug after ‘his’ goal (even he said it would be ‘ludicrous to claim it) and at full time. Heartwarming, wholesome content.
And our reward in the first round draw was...... Tranmere away. Oh fuck off. We wanted a big day out at a new ground, and we got a trip to a ground that I’ve been to approximately eight thousand times. It IS a good day out to be fair, especially if you stay on the right side of the water and spend as little time in Birkenhead as possible.
The women’s team made their home debut at Chapel Road, and here’s a top for you: if you’re ordering a taxi to Chapel Road, don’t order it to Chapel Road Synthetic pitch, or you’ll get dropped off at the wrong side and miss the first ten minutes of the match. Order it to Chapel Road and Vicarage Street.
Unfortunately it finished 2-0 to Hyde Utd, who were clearly the better team. Both sides lacked a bit of a cutting edge, and it took an unlucky own goal for Hyde to take the lead in the second half. The second goal came from the keeper coming out to take the ball and missing, which was harsh on her, as she’d otherwise played well (a great double save in the first half had kept us in the game). You could see that we’re a new team still gelling and learning, and we’ll definitely get better over the season.
It was a happier story for the U18 lads on Monday, who progressed to the first round of the FA Youth Cup with a 2-1 win over South Shields and a brace from Mohammed Mustafa. Well done, kids. I hope Nicky Adams treated you to a Nando’s.
Micky Mellon never sleeps when it comes to loan signings, and we reinforced our midfield on Monday with the loan signing of 19 year old Kai Payne from Wigan. Has anyone heard him talk? Is he a scouser? He looks like a scouser. Don’t ask me to explain that, he just does.
In wider football news, the FA have appointed a [extreme Stan Boardman voice] GERRRRRMAN as England men's manager, and sections of the media have been extremely normal about it and not at all weird and hysterical and xenophobic. World War Two was the best part of a century ago, the only England manager to have won a senior trophy this millennium is Dutch, and Thomas Tuchel had won the Champions League as opposed to his greatest managerial achievement being getting Bournemouth promoted to the Premier League. Let's all grow up.
(Or let's all be really childish and point out that, if what people are saying on Popbitch is true, Tuchel has something in common with the president of the FA.)
The news about Matt Smith broke very late last night, and it was the worst, most heart breaking news possible. Matt, we love you, we're so sorry, we're all thinking of you and your family.
Safe journey if you're off to Sutton today. We'll be following the game from Naples, where everyone of all genders has the horn for both Diego Maradona and Sophia Loren. And Chaddy Junior is having a fine old time.
Here's hoping for another goal fest, or a nervy edgy 1-0 win. Either is good with me. KTMFF.
Written by Arlene Finnigan. Photos © Oldham Athletic.
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