The return of J Lo produced a troublesome game but ultimately satisfying, whilst not as convincing as the last home game patience and tenacity shone through as both full backs got on the score sheet before the improving Midson finished Crawley off and settled nerves.
Manager Steve Evans is serving a mammoth 13 match touchline ban - I seem to recall his antics last year being none too clever. Anyway his assistant pretty much ranted in the same vein so it was pleasing to see him on the losing side.
They also had the smallest team bus I have seen - a sort of transit van - as we know times are tough in the Conference, Oxford being lucky with larger crowds (average 6518, Crawley average 877).
Wednesday, 30 September 2009
Gateshead 0 Oxford United 1
Catching up on posts, was away for this game - braved to cost of roaming data connections to pick up the result, another win.
Gateshead play at Gateshead International Stadium - fans could be some distance from the action.
Gateshead play at Gateshead International Stadium - fans could be some distance from the action.
Tuesday, 22 September 2009
Mansfield Town 2 Oxford United 1
The joys of following the game via BBC on a mobile, live text is pretty good to be honest. Based on this limited coverage my take is - Yellows were hit hard early and fought back very hard but could not grab a draw, bound to happen sooner or later and that cushion at the top now proving useful - nuff said.
Report below from our Northern Correspondant - (c) "2 Sheds" - looks like Oxford started the game the way they finished against Eastbourne - only got found out this time.
"Bizarrely, I enjoyed that much more than the Wrexham game, despite the result.
Mansfield came out of the blocks like a train and looked a very good side - skillful and direct, lots of width and balls to feet, our defence were caught cold, and they'd already hit the post before getting their two goals. Clarke was unlucky with the first as he made a good save and a following up attacker reacted more quickly than the defence to pull off a decent angled lob. Oddly I can't remember the second at all, though I remember claims for offside earlier in the move but I reckon it was marginal (and hard to tell from behind the goal). The rest of the half was a bit back and forth - end to end stuff but with no clear chances until Cook hit the underside of the bar with a thumping swerving shot from outside the box after a good knock down from Constable (I think - it was up the other end).
The start of the second half was similar - then Beano scored a neatly taken goal, rather out of nowhere, after good work from Murray to set up a grandstand finish. The Mansfield goal was under siege from then on - we played with belief and aggression, the ball was scarcely in our half and we hit the bar again. Shame we didn't play that way earlier. Some tedious Mansfield timewasting was an irritation (Billy Turley ended up being the ball boy while the proper ball boys sat on their backsides in the corner of the pitch).
The referee was a bit of a homer - some bizarre free kicks that he seemed to give the wrong way, though he defused a couple of situations well and there was one very timely yellow card for a bad tackle by a Mansfield player that took the sting out of the situation before any handbags could kick off.
A good game of football between two good sides. Apart from our shoddy defence in the first 20 minutes and perhaps a lack of urgency in midfield for the first hour I can't really fault anyone. Constable, Cook and Green were superb and worked hard all evening, and I was impressed by Creighton, Batt, Foster and Kinniburgh at the back.
We'll play worse than that and win, I reckon. A draw wouldn't have been an unfair result but I was impressed with Mansfield (apart from Rob Duffy - ineffective and substituted).
The Oxford support - 650-odd - was superb (though it may have helped the acoustic being under a roof). We outsang the Mansfield fans for much of the game, apart from 5 minutes or so after the 2nd Mansfield goal. And for the first time since I was about 17 in the London Road I even started a chant (it went "...7, 8, 9, 10" - you had to be there)."
Report below from our Northern Correspondant - (c) "2 Sheds" - looks like Oxford started the game the way they finished against Eastbourne - only got found out this time.
"Bizarrely, I enjoyed that much more than the Wrexham game, despite the result.
Mansfield came out of the blocks like a train and looked a very good side - skillful and direct, lots of width and balls to feet, our defence were caught cold, and they'd already hit the post before getting their two goals. Clarke was unlucky with the first as he made a good save and a following up attacker reacted more quickly than the defence to pull off a decent angled lob. Oddly I can't remember the second at all, though I remember claims for offside earlier in the move but I reckon it was marginal (and hard to tell from behind the goal). The rest of the half was a bit back and forth - end to end stuff but with no clear chances until Cook hit the underside of the bar with a thumping swerving shot from outside the box after a good knock down from Constable (I think - it was up the other end).
The start of the second half was similar - then Beano scored a neatly taken goal, rather out of nowhere, after good work from Murray to set up a grandstand finish. The Mansfield goal was under siege from then on - we played with belief and aggression, the ball was scarcely in our half and we hit the bar again. Shame we didn't play that way earlier. Some tedious Mansfield timewasting was an irritation (Billy Turley ended up being the ball boy while the proper ball boys sat on their backsides in the corner of the pitch).
The referee was a bit of a homer - some bizarre free kicks that he seemed to give the wrong way, though he defused a couple of situations well and there was one very timely yellow card for a bad tackle by a Mansfield player that took the sting out of the situation before any handbags could kick off.
A good game of football between two good sides. Apart from our shoddy defence in the first 20 minutes and perhaps a lack of urgency in midfield for the first hour I can't really fault anyone. Constable, Cook and Green were superb and worked hard all evening, and I was impressed by Creighton, Batt, Foster and Kinniburgh at the back.
We'll play worse than that and win, I reckon. A draw wouldn't have been an unfair result but I was impressed with Mansfield (apart from Rob Duffy - ineffective and substituted).
The Oxford support - 650-odd - was superb (though it may have helped the acoustic being under a roof). We outsang the Mansfield fans for much of the game, apart from 5 minutes or so after the 2nd Mansfield goal. And for the first time since I was about 17 in the London Road I even started a chant (it went "...7, 8, 9, 10" - you had to be there)."
Monday, 21 September 2009
Oxford United 4 Eastbourne Borough 0
Well - progress continues, but no room for complacency - at least the BBC have published some highlights here - http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/england/oxfordshire/8267592.stm.
My high quality video of Murray curling one in is not so good, he'd forced a good save from the keep minutes earlier - judge for yourselves, you can almost see the pitch.
Just me and Penfold today, baby duty for one, party duty for another and nostalgia duty for the third.
To the match - the first half was stunning, some of the best midfield play I've seen Oxford play for years - but a few too many chances for the opposition, I worry we're a bit suspect at the back despite so many clean sheets - probably down to Clarke's saves. Second half everyone took a breather and it was pretty ordinary, fine by me - we still won 4 0 - but better opposition would have punished this - as Wilder has pointed out. Lets see if they can keep it going tomorrow - a true test I imagine away to Mansfield (although they have faded recently).
My high quality video of Murray curling one in is not so good, he'd forced a good save from the keep minutes earlier - judge for yourselves, you can almost see the pitch.
Just me and Penfold today, baby duty for one, party duty for another and nostalgia duty for the third.
To the match - the first half was stunning, some of the best midfield play I've seen Oxford play for years - but a few too many chances for the opposition, I worry we're a bit suspect at the back despite so many clean sheets - probably down to Clarke's saves. Second half everyone took a breather and it was pretty ordinary, fine by me - we still won 4 0 - but better opposition would have punished this - as Wilder has pointed out. Lets see if they can keep it going tomorrow - a true test I imagine away to Mansfield (although they have faded recently).
Monday, 14 September 2009
Wrexham 0 Oxford United 1
Late to the party on this one, again listened to the commentary (washing car) - a very very good result, really grinding them out this year - long may it continue.
Watch the goal here.
Watch the goal here.
Tuesday, 8 September 2009
Oxford United 2 Luton Town 0
Biggest game so far of the season and I am unable to attend due to being in Somerset, in t ... hang on Cook just scored the second!!! So listening on the web and it is 2 - 0 and a missed penalty. Rosie and Harris commentating in exuberant terms as usual.Where was I, oh yes, staying in Somerset in the Purple Palace that is the Premier Inn.
So - good so far, I missed the start and it was delayed by the sound of it anyway.
Anyway I'd swap missing this game for a victory and continued good fortune this season.
We have me stuck here, supporter 2 stuck up north so assuming supporters 3, 4 and 5 are on scene and so I'm enjoying the game by proxy, better sit back with a pint of Butcombe Bitter to enjoy the rest of the game .. listening.
37 minutes - we need a 3rd ...
Rosie - "he's jockeyed him" - great use of the football tense, sort of.
Half time - Nick summarises, like the carrot cruncher he is - "Aldridge like" when talking of Constable, hmm.
Kettle on, but no biscuits at the Premier Inn, Lenny doesn't tell you that does he.
Jamie Brooks interview, Carterton winning 1-0, other half time goodies.
Second half, tense start, hither and thither, touch and go, back and forth, end to end ... gulp.
Luton's half so far by the sound of it, Wilde changes it to block the winger - RED CARD! Matt Green taken out, may not be as good as it sounds, hard to play ten men etc etc. Beano getting involved as per, stay out of it. Ref may be a bit of a homer, penalty and man sent off?
10,613 attendance.
Jerome back - last 20 odd minutes, tight "blistering shot, deflected wide" - Beano.
Drifted off there - Facebook's fault, the joys of Camberwick Green - still winning.
7 minutes to go, this post still not tagged "win".
Potter on, shot saved.
Final whistle - job done :-)
Saturday, 5 September 2009
Ebbsfleet United 0 Oxford United 2
A recovery from the last performance - I'm not sure playing against the 10 men of Forest Green would have led to Oxford scoring last week, however Cambridge were able to take advantage of this with a 7 - 0 drubbing of the Rovers. With Mansfield dropping 2 points however the top spot is still looking mighty fine.
Watched the match updates on the BBC web site on my phone, would I be allowed to mention how much I like my phone - it makes phone calls and everything.
Buying stuff on the Android market hasn't worked well (free stuff is a breeze) - this seems a common problem, but the interface and trackball work really well. Sync up your Outlook with Gmail using this and these automatically get synchronised with your phone - anyway back to the football - good to see Cook back wonder if he'll start in Tuesday, sadly I'll miss the game so will look forward to some fine BBC Oxford commentary over t'web.
Tuesday, 1 September 2009
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