Mike Fondop said he was “buzzing” to finally get off the mark for the season as his late header secured Oldham Athletic’s first home win of the campaign.
The striker struck in the 82nd minute at Boundary Park to end Bromley’s unbeaten start, delighting the Athleticos with a trademark finish at the Rochdale Road End.
Fondop Relishes Special Goal
Last season’s top scorer has endured a testing start, not helped by private personal matters which manager Micky Mellon revealed post-match. But Fondop put that aside on Saturday, describing the joy of celebrating with Oldham’s most vocal supporters.
“It meant a lot and I love scoring in front of the Athleticos. To hear them sing and the roar and the noise, I’m buzzing. It meant a lot to me on a personal level, which I’m not yet ready to talk about.”
The Cameroonian forward had gone close just minutes earlier when his header clipped the crossbar. This time, Tom Conlon’s delivery gave him the perfect opportunity to power home.
“I spoke to Tom Conlon and told him to just cross the ball because last season a lot of my goals came from crosses. The first ball he put in I headed against the bar, and then obviously the goal came from his cross. When I hit the bar I thought it was going in, but it doesn’t matter now, we got the win and we move on.”
Hard Work Behind The Win
Fondop was quick to stress the collective effort required against a physical Bromley side. He revealed the tactical approach had to match the visitors’ direct style and size advantage.
“It was a lot of hard work. We understood that this game was not one where you would have passed the ball a lot, it was more about winning the first balls and grafting. It was physical, the number five I was playing against was absolutely huge, so sometimes you have to accept that.
“We stuck to the plan and it was great hard work from the boys and we’re all happy about the result.”
Writer’s View
This was the kind of performance Oldham fans wanted to see from their talisman. Fondop thrives on service from wide areas, and his comments underline just how important supply lines like Conlon will be to his success.
Beyond the personal relief of breaking his duck, the striker emphasised the work rate and resilience needed to win matches in this division. If he can now use this goal as a springboard, Latics may finally turn encouraging performances into consistent victories.
