Oldham Athletic snatched a dramatic 2-1 victory against Ebbsfleet United at the Kuflink Stadium, with a late surge securing three vital points. A tense and goalless first half saw Ebbsfleet manager Harry Watling make an early change, replacing Lewis Page with Gregory Cundle in the 32nd minute in an attempt to bolster his side’s attack. Watling made a further change at the break, bringing on Craig Tanner for Sha’mar Lawson.
The deadlock was finally broken three minutes after the restart. Mike Fondop-Talum’s assist allowed Mark Kitching to fire Oldham into the lead. Ebbsfleet responded with a double substitution: Jephte Tanga replaced Wesley Fonguck in the 56th minute, followed by Will Randall-Hurren coming on for Mustapha Olagunju in the 69th minute. Oldham also made a change, introducing James Norwood for Joe Garner in the 68th minute.
The match remained finely poised until the 81st minute when Ebbsfleet were awarded a penalty. Dominic Poleon converted the spot-kick, levelling the scores and seemingly setting the stage for a draw. However, Oldham responded swiftly. Just four minutes later, substitute Jesurun Uchegbulam, who had replaced an unnamed player in the 77th minute, provided the assist for Otis Khan to score the winner.
The late goal stunned the home crowd, and despite a frantic final few minutes, Oldham held on for a crucial victory. The closing stages saw late bookings for Oldham’s Mathew Hudson (92nd minute) and Jesurun Uchegbulam (94th minute), adding to the drama of a thrilling encounter. The result sees Oldham climb to sixth in the National League table, while Ebbsfleet remain in 24th.