EXCLUSIVE: Striker Odain makes shock March Town United exit after Whaley stands firm over training
STRIKER Ondre Odain has made a shock departure from March Town United after manager Brett Whaley put his foot down over attendance at training.
The 23-year-old forward became an instant hit at the GER - scoring in all of his first six games after signing from Huntingdon Town in November.
It was his eighth goal of the season that secured the Hares’ Ridgeons First Division Knockout Cup Quarter-Final victory over Thetford Town last Tuesday.
But Odain’s unwillingness to travel to March for training frustrated Whaley - and the situation came to a head after Saturday’s 3-1 defeat to Swaffham Town.
The Hares boss said: “After Saturday I felt that the players need to spend more time working together.
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“I spoke to Ondre to tell him we need him to be at training but he said he can’t because of travel and work commitments.
“It doesn’t matter who you are, or what you’ve done, you have to be part of the team.
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“It was obviously a tough decision because of what he had achieved but I have to go with what I believe. We need a unit rather than a team of individuals.
“I’m in this for the long haul and I’m not just here to try and bring immediate success.
“I want to build something and to do that we need players to commit to training.”
It is thought that Odain, along with winger Ricki Goodale who has also left the Hares, will begin a stint playing in the Peterborough League.
But Whaley did bolster his squad on Thursday with three loan signings from Blue Square Bet Premier League side Histon.
Casey Logan, Curtis Fulcher and Mattie Walters, all 17, have agreed short-term switches to the GER, and all three look set to make the squad for tomorrow’s trip to Debenham LC. Full-back Marc Welcher and midfielder Adam Rothery will also return.
Ash Brand’s late goal was little consolation for March on Saturday as they slipped to fourth in the Ridgeons First Division with defeat to mid-table Swaffham.
Whaley said: “It’s absolutely infuriating when you see the lads play the way they did against Thetford and then play like that on Saturday.
“If we want to get promoted then at some stage we need to learn how to win games when we’re playing badly.
“We’re not the finished article by a long way.”
