Round-up of news from Colchester United's League Two rivals

FONDOP OFF THE MARK AFTER BAGGING OLDHAM’S WINNER

FORMER Stanway Rovers striker Mike Fondop is off the mark in League Two.

The 31-year-old headed Oldham Athletic’s winner in the 82nd minute against Bromley at Boundary Park, securing a 1-0 victory and ending the visitors’ unbeaten start to the campaign.

Fondop told the Oldham Times: “I’m buzzing for it, not only the win but also my first goal of the season.

“I thought it was going to come earlier when the ball hit the bar but I’m happy to score and to win.

“There have been a few games where we thought we had dominated and should have won but just got draws, so we're happy with the win.”

MCEACHRAN GIVES HONEST RESPONSE AFTER ENDING DROUGHT

JOSH McEachran bagged his first goal since 2018 for Bristol Rovers in their 2-1 win over Barrow – and then confessed he didn’t mean it!

McEachran delivered a first-time cross into the box which sailed over the goalkeeper and into the back of the net as the Pirates, who visit Colchester United this weekend, secured their fourth straight League Two win.

McEachran told the Bristol Rovers FC website: “I didn’t mean it, to be fair.

“I just wanted to whip it across the six-yard box and with the wind, it helped it a little bit, and I got the goal.

“To be honest, I thought it was going to be a bad cross, but the closer it got, I knew it was going to go in.

"The goalkeeper was scrambling a little bit.

"I’m happy to get my first goal of the season, and I’m happier with the three points.”

WEAVER: ATMOSPHERE STILL POSITIVE DESPITE LOSING RUN

HARROGATE Town boss Simon Weaver insists their changing room remains ‘positive’ despite four successive League Two defeats.

The Sulphurites lost 3-1 at high-flying Swindon Town, following hot on the heels of their defeats at Crawley Town, Bromley and Chesterfield.

Harrogate now sit 17th but Weaver says the atmosphere in the changing room is still good.

Weaver told BBC Radio York: “The atmosphere is positive in there [the dressing room] because they know that they are not far off really competing and actually coming away with at least a point against a top outfit with top resources.

“For the large part, we looked a good team playing against top of the league. “It’s a good atmosphere here and we knew it was going to be a challenge, but I thought that ours was a spirited display.”

To add to their woes, Harrogate suffered a double injury blow at Swindon after midfielder Tom Hill and right-back Lewis Cass both having to be replaced.

FORMER READING FULL-BACK LEAVES MARINERS BY MUTUAL CONSENT

MATTY Carson has become a free agent after his contract at Grimsby Town was terminated by mutual consent.

The 22-year-old made 13 appearances for the Mariners after joining them on a free transfer from League One side Reading last summer but is now a free agent.

Left-back Carson had loan spells at Rafcliffe FC and Alfreton Town during his time at Blundell Park.

In a statement, Grimsby said: ‘Matty leaves with the best wishes of everyone at Grimsby Town and we wish him well for the future.’

INJURIES PILING UP FOR PROMOTION CONTENDERS MK DONS

PROMOTION contenders MK Dons have suffered another injury blow.

Full-back Kane Wilson is expected to miss the rest of the calendar year after suffering a knee injury on his debut against Grimsby Town, following his move from Derby County.

Jack Sanders and Scott Hogan also both face time on the sidelines while Gethin Jones and Joe Tomlinson are also out for lengthy spells.

MK Dons boss Paul Warne told the MK Citizen: “Kane has unfortunately damaged his knee in a challenge early in the game against Grimsby, so he’s going to be out for a long period.

“I don’t think we’ll see him before January. It’s a massive blow, I know how good he is.

“It’s a double whammy because I got him in to cover for Gethin, who is still a good six week away.

“Jack felt his leg, had a scan and he has done his calf so he’ll be out for five or six weeks as well.

“Scotty Hogan has damaged his knee last week as well, he’s out for a few weeks and I’ve lost [Jon] Mellish to a sending off as well.”

HOLLOWAY HAILS SUBSTITUTES’ IMPACT AS ROBINS MOVE JOINT TOP

IAN Holloway praised the impact of his substitutes as Swindon Town came from behind to win 3-1 against Harrogate Town and move joint top of League Two.

The Sulpharites took the lead through Jack Muldoon but Ollie Clarke levelled for Swindon before the break and Aaron Drinan bagged a second-half brace to seal victory.

Holloway told the Swindon Advertiser: “They played really well. They stopped us, they blocked us, and we did not solve that properly, so I managed to have a chat with the players at half-time.

“But in the end, my bench hurt them. We had a team that knew how we were going to play and they came down here and did a job on us, got in front, and then we scored a fantastic goal before half-time.

“I didn't feel we deserved to lose the first half, and I could have accepted that, the changes that I have got at my disposal are not easy, but they helped us to win the game.

“That is what being a good club is, so I am delighted that they played well.”

APPLETON RUES ‘SUCKER PUNCH’ AS SALOP’S WOES CONTINUE

SHREWSBURY Town sit second from bottom in League Two and their boss Michael Appleton admits he is ‘wary’ of time as they struggle to pick up wins.

Salop lost 3-1 at home to Salford City after conceding twice in the final ten minutes and have managed only one league win so far, this season.

Asked if the group still needs time for things to pick up, Appleton told the Shropshire Star: “Yes, but you don’t always get time. I am wary of that and understanding of that.

“But I do think that with the group, there is clearly really good signs that over a long, sustained period of time, they can win games at this level, definitely.

“After the game, it was like a sucker punch. It felt like a sucker punch for the group.”

MARINERS GET EXTRA TICKETS...BUT MUST SELL ALL OF THEM!

GRIMSBY Town have been told they will receive an additional 2,000 tickets for their Carabao Cup third-round tie at Sheffield Wednesday tomorrow night – providing all of them are sold and subject to the approval of SWFC’s Safety Advisory Group and South Yorkshire Police.

The Mariners, who dumped Premier League side Manchester United out in the second-round stage after beating them on penalties, sold out their initial allocation of 4,069 for the game at Hillsborough.

Grimsby say that should the extra 2,000 tickets not be sold, orders will be refunded.