If you’d have said to Oldham Athletic fans that they would have lost just two of their opening 16 National League games of the campaign before the season, they’d have been rather chipper about their lot.
It’s just that six draws within those 16 see the Latics in the play-off places, rather than heading up the division.
But it’s a fine start for Micky Mellon’s side… and one brightened considerably further by that FA Cup first-round victory over Tranmere Rovers.
Promotion Push
Mellon’s summer overhaul of his squad has proven successful thus far, so the hope is that this will finally be the year that Oldham return to the Football League.
A number of bookmakers offer odds for the National League in their betting UK, with the Latics currently a 5/1 chance to secure promotion behind the likes of Barnet and Forest Green.
A betting calculator confirms that a £10 wager on Oldham would yield £50 in profit, which suggests they are not uniformly expected to secure promotion as far as the bookies are concerned.
That’s as much to do with the early season form of Barnet and York City as it is weakness on Oldham’s part, while the financial resources and EFL history of Forest Green suggest that they will be there or thereabouts come the end of the campaign.
Mellon knows that his side need to improve defensively, but they do boast a goal threat courtesy of James Norwood and Mike Fondop, the rangy Cameroonian striker who is currently enjoying his best-ever start to a season.
🙌 HIS NAME IS MIKE FONDOP…
[1-2] #oafc pic.twitter.com/BpkUzKZQvT
— Oldham Athletic (@OfficialOAFC) November 22, 2023
The 30-year-old’s highest goal tally in a single season for the Latics is 13, back in 2022/23. But by the start of November this time around, Fondop has already been on the scoresheet nine times in all competitions.
Up for the Cup
It can be difficult to balance the rigours of success in the league with a morale-boosting win or two in the domestic cups.
But it’s a case of so far, so good for Oldham, who are into the second round of the FA Cup – and potentially one game away from being drawn against one of English football’s giants.
Oldham were very much the underdogs as they made the short trip to League Two side Tranmere Rovers in the first-round proper.
FT.#TRFC #SWA pic.twitter.com/dE7XRrqStX
— Tranmere Rovers FC (@TranmereRovers) November 2, 2024
The Merseysiders took an early lead, but the Latics did not lose hope and were rewarded in the first half when Norwood, a former Tranmere player, fired home the equaliser.
Oldham more than held their own in the second half – creating the better of the chances against their EFL opponents. And they were rewarded when a deflected shot nestled in the back of the Tranmere net.
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