BILLERICAY Town manager Craig Edwards has labelled the departed Mike Fondop’s actions as “despicable” after he joined Margate on the eve of an Under-21 Cup final.

Fondop was scheduled to start in Billericay’s Ryman Under-21 Cup final against Worthing on Saturday, only to pull out of the squad with illness the night before the game.

Town lost the match on penalties but it later transpired that Fondop had agreed a deal to join Margate in the National League South on Thursday evening.

And Edwards says Fondop, 22, let his team-mates down after pulling out of the game at the last minute, having agreed to move to the Kent club, admitting “you can’t trust anyone these days.”

“It is despicable,” said the Town boss. “We wanted to retain Mike and he had been an important player for us. He had scored 10 goals in his last three under-21 games and I am 100 per cent confident we would have won the final had he played.

“But he told me the night before he had the flu and could barely stand up and I told him what he needed to do to try and be ready come the following morning. But he said there was no improvement on the morning of the match.

“When I heard he was speaking to Margate I spoke to their manager (Nikki Bull) and asked when he had signed and was told Thursday and I couldn’t believe it.

“If Mike had done it the day after the match it would have been different but to leave your team-mates in that position before a cup final is inexcusable. We had earned our place in the final, trained in bitterly cold conditions and it was a real team effort.”

Edwards says Fondop had agreed a retainer deal to stay on at the club after his contract came to an end, in accordance with guidelines for contracted players under the age of 24, with Billericay having the right to re-engage a deal with the striker.

Fondop joined from Stanway Rovers at the start of last season and scored eight goals in six matches at the start of his time at the club. But he netted just three times in Town’s final 32 matches.

And he has now decided to make the move, with Edwards looking to agree a compensation package with Margate.

“I am so disappointed and I don’t know who I can trust but we have to move past it.”