I was hoping to finish this 2016 blog with a more upbeat or exciting match to write about, but Walsall at home brought provided little in the way of entertainment.
Still, it was interesting to see how tactically poor we seem to be against teams that we are expected to overcome, in a similar mid table position to ourselves.
It was the same starting XI that began the loss to Northampton only five days ago. This meant Marvin Johnson continued at left back despite Joe Skarz being fit to play, to my disbelief.
Oxford started confidently, they pressed forward in numbers and had a few shots well blocked by a stubborn Walsall defence.
It is noteworthy how quick the defenders were for The Saddlers. This meant Kane Hemmings was isolated for the most part of the game, similar to our last home fixture. However, Hemmings did brilliantly to work his way into the box, but couldn't deliver a simple cross to the waiting Maguire and MacDonald.
Maguire came close with a free kick before the interval as the referee continued to award decisions in favour of us, to the disgust of the travelling Walsall fans. And Maguire should've probably put the U's in front, he lashed a shot over from the middle of the box after some good build-up play from Johnson.
Walsall threatened little, and couldn't get striker Simeone Jackson involved enough. Instead, they were left looking to shoot from range.
Oxford midfielders John Lundstram and Ryan Ledson failed to influence the game enough. Both of them are ill-equipped to run confidently forward with the ball. With two such similar players working alongside each other, it left United rather stagnant in attack. The injury of Liam Sercombe, someone who runs forward from central midfield, will hurt United for the rest of the season.
The second half was one of frustration for Oxford. Chances were at a minimum for the home side, Ryan Taylor was brought on in place of Hemmings, with little effect. Amongst other comments, "Should've kept [Danny] Hylton" struck a chord with me, because it was games like today where we missed his tireless endeavour to hustle defenders.
Jackson had Walsall's best chance but he poked a cross over the bar when he should have really hit the target.
Rob Hall had another poor game for us today, he was subbed off for Tyler Roberts midway through the half. Himself and Alex MacDonald seemed afraid to take on any players today. MacDonald's game is mainly about beating a man one-on-one, today he seemed low on confidence with an inability to shoot effectively.
Simon Eastwood had quiet game but produced a quite wonderful save with five minutes to go. A shot deflected off Chey Dunkley, prompting the keeper to quickly readjust and tip round the post.
The fourth official's electric board had broken so no one knew how much time was added on, so full time came out of no where!
A disappointing game against an admirable Walsall side. A draw was fair, but there are problems amongst the United team, Appleton does not know what his best squad is and there is a lack of desire from too many.
-Michael
Saturday, 31 December 2016
Monday, 26 December 2016
Oxford Utd 0-1 Northampton Town
Due to Uni restarting, today's match was the first since the disappointment of Southend away in September, a 2-1 defeat. I had been looking forward to this fixture for ages, with added significance seeing as it was the team that pipped us to first place in League Two last season. Michael Appleton has always stood by his comments that the best team came second that year; today was a chance to put some substance to his words.
I was looking forward to seeing Rob Hall in action today. The left-winger has been spoken highly of throughout the club since he came back from his long-term knee injury. Ryan Ledson was another I was keen to witness first hand what he could bring to the team, especially after Liam Sercombe had been ruled out for the season not so long ago.
Oxford came into the game unbeaten in their last eight games and were showing glimpses of play-off potential as they sat mid-table. Northampton named Oxford United legend of Wembley 2010, Alfie Potter in their starting XI, the winger went on to have a good game for the Cobblers.
Within the opening seconds Oxford constructed a good chance through the middle of the pitch, Northampton were completely unprepared for the instant pace of Maguire and Hall. The chance came to nothing, but it indicated that the game may be an extremely open affair. That was not the case.
Kane Hemmings was left isolated up front for the most part of the first half and failed to link up with those around him. The central defenders or midfielders would often launch a ball forward, behind the Northampton backline to utilise his pace, but the Northampton defenders, to their credit, were quick enough to quell any Hemming threat.
In Matty Taylor, Northampton have someone of genuine quality. His Premier League experience was evident just by looking at his technique. He forced a fine save from Simon Eastwood midway through the first half as well creating some decent chances with excellent crosses.
Jonjoe O'Toole picked up the first booking of the match and looked to be the sort of player that could easily see red this afternoon.
There was little to comment on as the first half drew to a close, both sides created little in the way of chances and there were many stoppages as the referee nit-picked throughout and there were hardly any ball boys which didn't help.
As the second half got underway, it was much the same. Alex MacDonald, however, had United's best chances of the afternoon but failed in his attempt to get a shot on target. The Cobblers keeper was still yet to make a save.
If United were to conjure up a chance on the afternoon it always looked as if it would be through Chris Maguire. His first touch was superb throughout, and he had the desire of a match winner.
Meanwhile, Hall was having a very poor game. He looked weak and afraid to challenge, which is under stable given he had been out with an injury for a year. Nevertheless, it was disappointing he didn't get into the game.
Marc Richards somehow missed a header from point-blank range midway through the half, a huge let off for United.
Ryan Taylor replaced Hemmings up front, who had a torrid afternoon, mainly because of the lack of support he received. He looks like the type of striker that needs a fellow forward playing alongside him.
John Lundstram was struggling to dictate the tempo of the game today, with neither team maintaining possession for a very long time, there were many turnovers.
As we entered injury time, Northampton won a rare corner. As the ball was floated into the middle, Eastwood rose and missed it, then went down injured, resulting in an open goal for Richards to flick the ball into.
This was a devastating blow for United who did not deserve to lose the game. There were claims in the home end that the ref should have blown for a free kick on Eastwood, but to no avail. The Northampton fans were going mad in the away end as the players sprinted over to celebrate with them.
Full Time came a minute after the only goal of the game.
There were too many missed opportunities from Oxford today. We played some neat football at times but there was a lack of passion and conviction in too many player's performances.
I would like to see Marvin Johnson reinstated in his natural position higher up the pitch. He's been playing left-back recently, and despite a promising defensive display from him today, he needs to gain confidence by attacking defenders. Once this confidence comes, I believe he will be the winger we paid for.
Walsall at home is the next and final match of 2016! I'm not too optimistic, but hopefully we can end the year on a high note after what has been an unforgettable year for Oxford United.
-Michael
I was looking forward to seeing Rob Hall in action today. The left-winger has been spoken highly of throughout the club since he came back from his long-term knee injury. Ryan Ledson was another I was keen to witness first hand what he could bring to the team, especially after Liam Sercombe had been ruled out for the season not so long ago.
Oxford came into the game unbeaten in their last eight games and were showing glimpses of play-off potential as they sat mid-table. Northampton named Oxford United legend of Wembley 2010, Alfie Potter in their starting XI, the winger went on to have a good game for the Cobblers.
Within the opening seconds Oxford constructed a good chance through the middle of the pitch, Northampton were completely unprepared for the instant pace of Maguire and Hall. The chance came to nothing, but it indicated that the game may be an extremely open affair. That was not the case.
Kane Hemmings was left isolated up front for the most part of the first half and failed to link up with those around him. The central defenders or midfielders would often launch a ball forward, behind the Northampton backline to utilise his pace, but the Northampton defenders, to their credit, were quick enough to quell any Hemming threat.
In Matty Taylor, Northampton have someone of genuine quality. His Premier League experience was evident just by looking at his technique. He forced a fine save from Simon Eastwood midway through the first half as well creating some decent chances with excellent crosses.
Jonjoe O'Toole picked up the first booking of the match and looked to be the sort of player that could easily see red this afternoon.
There was little to comment on as the first half drew to a close, both sides created little in the way of chances and there were many stoppages as the referee nit-picked throughout and there were hardly any ball boys which didn't help.
As the second half got underway, it was much the same. Alex MacDonald, however, had United's best chances of the afternoon but failed in his attempt to get a shot on target. The Cobblers keeper was still yet to make a save.
If United were to conjure up a chance on the afternoon it always looked as if it would be through Chris Maguire. His first touch was superb throughout, and he had the desire of a match winner.
Meanwhile, Hall was having a very poor game. He looked weak and afraid to challenge, which is under stable given he had been out with an injury for a year. Nevertheless, it was disappointing he didn't get into the game.
Marc Richards somehow missed a header from point-blank range midway through the half, a huge let off for United.
Ryan Taylor replaced Hemmings up front, who had a torrid afternoon, mainly because of the lack of support he received. He looks like the type of striker that needs a fellow forward playing alongside him.
John Lundstram was struggling to dictate the tempo of the game today, with neither team maintaining possession for a very long time, there were many turnovers.
As we entered injury time, Northampton won a rare corner. As the ball was floated into the middle, Eastwood rose and missed it, then went down injured, resulting in an open goal for Richards to flick the ball into.
This was a devastating blow for United who did not deserve to lose the game. There were claims in the home end that the ref should have blown for a free kick on Eastwood, but to no avail. The Northampton fans were going mad in the away end as the players sprinted over to celebrate with them.
Full Time came a minute after the only goal of the game.
There were too many missed opportunities from Oxford today. We played some neat football at times but there was a lack of passion and conviction in too many player's performances.
I would like to see Marvin Johnson reinstated in his natural position higher up the pitch. He's been playing left-back recently, and despite a promising defensive display from him today, he needs to gain confidence by attacking defenders. Once this confidence comes, I believe he will be the winger we paid for.
Walsall at home is the next and final match of 2016! I'm not too optimistic, but hopefully we can end the year on a high note after what has been an unforgettable year for Oxford United.
-Michael
Tuesday, 27 September 2016
Southend Utd 2-1 Oxford Utd
I have started my final year of university in West London. With this comes the inability to attend many home games. It does, however, present the opportunity to see United more on the road. Tonight, after a day of lectures I made the long journey to Essex.
Rush hour in London is one of them things you try to avoid at all costs, tonight I had no option but to commit to the underground to Liverpool Street Station and onto Prittlewell, Southend.
At Liverpool Station I met my friend Jonny who is lives in East London, and we boarded the hour long train.
Tonight I was hopeful of three points. We are playing a Southend that have just come off a 4-0 away defeat at the weekend and we had managed to get a 1-1 draw at home to Charlton - by all accounts we had played well. But this is Roots Hall, a bogey ground for the Yellows, I have been here once before and we lost 1-0 in a terrible game.
One change for Oxford today and that saw the introduction of Kane Hemmings up front replacing Wes Thomas. Michael Appleton is obviously a big fan of the 4-3-3 formation.
It was a terrific atmosphere in the away section behind the goal. Approximately 400 of us were making ourselves heard - we were well up for it. Compared to Milton Keynes away this was a louder, more genuine football away day with the floodlights shining down. The plastic seats and rotting stands a far cry from the comfort of Milton Keynes and I far prefer it this way.
As the game got underway it was clear Oxford had the quality to win because of our control in the centre of midfield. But our failure to create any meaningful chances was our downfall. Southend broke forward at pace and purpose more often than us, a volleyed shot flew just over with ten minutes on the clock.
But just three minutes later Ryan Leonard made no mistake with his volley from the edge of the box. A tame headed clearance fell to him and four yards from the edge of the box and he tucked it into the corner with power, Simon Eastwood could only get a fingertip to it. It was a fantastic goal by Leonard and you can't have many complaints when you fall behind to goal of that quality.
The Oxford fans behind that goal kept up the fine voice and forced their eleven forward. Marvin Johnson and Chris Maguire tried their luck down the wings to no avail. Hemmings should have had us level with half an hour played, Maguire looped in a fine cross with Hemmings out jumping his marker he just headed just over.
Phil Edwards was in the right place to clear a Southend shot off the line five minutes before the interval, a real let off for Oxford who wouldn't have deserved to concede two goals in the first half.
In the second minute of injury time Hemmings forced a fine save of Mark Oxley to tip over the bar. But from the resulting corner the U's were level. Maguire's short corner to Johnson was whipped into the middle for Hemmings to glance into the back of the net.
A fantastic goal, the quickly taken corner took the Southend defence by surprise who hadn't regrouped after Hemmings went close seconds earlier. Euphoria in the away end; a goal on the stroke of half time often means you deflate the opposition and can carry your momentum into the second half.
Half time was greeted with chants of 'Yellows! Yellows!' as the players made their way into the tunnel.
Oxford started the second half stronger and went on the attack with more vigour than they had done in the first. Chances came and went for Johnson and Joe Rothwell, John Lundstram also saw his shot fly wide.
It was promising for United, who were also getting lucky with some refereeing decisions, to the fury of the home fans.
However, with United prospering forward Southend won a penalty. Edwards was adjudged to have handled inside the box and Anthony Wordsworth stepped up to put the Shrimpers ahead.
The penalty decision was harsh. A cross was struck with such venom, Edwards who was three metres away could do little to change his boy position and prevent the ball striking him on the arm. Appleton was fuming on the touchline, himself and assistant, David Fazakerley having heated discussions with the fourth official.
The goal came 13 minutes from the end. For the remainder of the match Southend begun a series of time wasting tactics to the annoyance of us away fans. Their goalkeeper in particular showing no rush whatsoever to restart proceedings after Oxford attacks.
Oxford continued to bombard forward, creating numerous goalscoring opportunities with no result. Johnson looked lively at times and Liam Sercombe often penetrated through their midfield line to find our attackers but we were always quelled. I would have liked to have seen the introduction of Alex MacDonald to offer more pace out wide, with Maguire perhaps tucking inside to play as a number 10.
Instead Ryan Taylor was introduced in place of Joe Skarz, we were now playing a 3-3-4 formation as the onslaught on Southend's goal continued.
With the continuous Oxford pressure Southend were able to muster a chance of their own on the counter attack. One on one with Eastwood, Adam Barrett saw his shot saved superbly by the Oxford number 1.
But it was the Southend goalkeeper who had the final say, the introduction of Wes Thomas off the bench hadn't changed much but he forced a fine save from Oxley at point blank range. I have no idea how he saved that.
That chance came in the fifth minute of an additional six added on by the officials. So that was full time.
Southend did not deserve to win tonight. It's fair to say they were lucky with the penalty decision and fortunate to have a goalkeeper in some fine form. They offered little up front but dealt with our sidemen very effectively.
Marvin Johnson's night was summed up with the last kick of the game as we ran forward on a counter attack and he over hit a routine touch. He needs to produce soon or else the fans will grow in frustration at our expensive summer signing from Motherwell.
I would like to see two in central midfield perhaps, or a change in the central trio. It's interesting that Arsenal loanee, Dan Crowley is still our of the team despite obvious playmaking ability.
On the bright side, our defence looks solid this season, with Chey Dunkley and Charlie Raglan now our main centre back partnership.
Time to make the long train journey back across London. We were unlucky tonight, the remainder of the season still excites me greatly.
-Michael
Rush hour in London is one of them things you try to avoid at all costs, tonight I had no option but to commit to the underground to Liverpool Street Station and onto Prittlewell, Southend.
At Liverpool Station I met my friend Jonny who is lives in East London, and we boarded the hour long train.
Tonight I was hopeful of three points. We are playing a Southend that have just come off a 4-0 away defeat at the weekend and we had managed to get a 1-1 draw at home to Charlton - by all accounts we had played well. But this is Roots Hall, a bogey ground for the Yellows, I have been here once before and we lost 1-0 in a terrible game.
One change for Oxford today and that saw the introduction of Kane Hemmings up front replacing Wes Thomas. Michael Appleton is obviously a big fan of the 4-3-3 formation.
It was a terrific atmosphere in the away section behind the goal. Approximately 400 of us were making ourselves heard - we were well up for it. Compared to Milton Keynes away this was a louder, more genuine football away day with the floodlights shining down. The plastic seats and rotting stands a far cry from the comfort of Milton Keynes and I far prefer it this way.
As the game got underway it was clear Oxford had the quality to win because of our control in the centre of midfield. But our failure to create any meaningful chances was our downfall. Southend broke forward at pace and purpose more often than us, a volleyed shot flew just over with ten minutes on the clock.
But just three minutes later Ryan Leonard made no mistake with his volley from the edge of the box. A tame headed clearance fell to him and four yards from the edge of the box and he tucked it into the corner with power, Simon Eastwood could only get a fingertip to it. It was a fantastic goal by Leonard and you can't have many complaints when you fall behind to goal of that quality.
The Oxford fans behind that goal kept up the fine voice and forced their eleven forward. Marvin Johnson and Chris Maguire tried their luck down the wings to no avail. Hemmings should have had us level with half an hour played, Maguire looped in a fine cross with Hemmings out jumping his marker he just headed just over.
Phil Edwards was in the right place to clear a Southend shot off the line five minutes before the interval, a real let off for Oxford who wouldn't have deserved to concede two goals in the first half.
In the second minute of injury time Hemmings forced a fine save of Mark Oxley to tip over the bar. But from the resulting corner the U's were level. Maguire's short corner to Johnson was whipped into the middle for Hemmings to glance into the back of the net.
A fantastic goal, the quickly taken corner took the Southend defence by surprise who hadn't regrouped after Hemmings went close seconds earlier. Euphoria in the away end; a goal on the stroke of half time often means you deflate the opposition and can carry your momentum into the second half.
Half time was greeted with chants of 'Yellows! Yellows!' as the players made their way into the tunnel.
Oxford started the second half stronger and went on the attack with more vigour than they had done in the first. Chances came and went for Johnson and Joe Rothwell, John Lundstram also saw his shot fly wide.
It was promising for United, who were also getting lucky with some refereeing decisions, to the fury of the home fans.
However, with United prospering forward Southend won a penalty. Edwards was adjudged to have handled inside the box and Anthony Wordsworth stepped up to put the Shrimpers ahead.
The penalty decision was harsh. A cross was struck with such venom, Edwards who was three metres away could do little to change his boy position and prevent the ball striking him on the arm. Appleton was fuming on the touchline, himself and assistant, David Fazakerley having heated discussions with the fourth official.
The goal came 13 minutes from the end. For the remainder of the match Southend begun a series of time wasting tactics to the annoyance of us away fans. Their goalkeeper in particular showing no rush whatsoever to restart proceedings after Oxford attacks.
Oxford continued to bombard forward, creating numerous goalscoring opportunities with no result. Johnson looked lively at times and Liam Sercombe often penetrated through their midfield line to find our attackers but we were always quelled. I would have liked to have seen the introduction of Alex MacDonald to offer more pace out wide, with Maguire perhaps tucking inside to play as a number 10.
Instead Ryan Taylor was introduced in place of Joe Skarz, we were now playing a 3-3-4 formation as the onslaught on Southend's goal continued.
With the continuous Oxford pressure Southend were able to muster a chance of their own on the counter attack. One on one with Eastwood, Adam Barrett saw his shot saved superbly by the Oxford number 1.
But it was the Southend goalkeeper who had the final say, the introduction of Wes Thomas off the bench hadn't changed much but he forced a fine save from Oxley at point blank range. I have no idea how he saved that.
That chance came in the fifth minute of an additional six added on by the officials. So that was full time.
Southend did not deserve to win tonight. It's fair to say they were lucky with the penalty decision and fortunate to have a goalkeeper in some fine form. They offered little up front but dealt with our sidemen very effectively.
Marvin Johnson's night was summed up with the last kick of the game as we ran forward on a counter attack and he over hit a routine touch. He needs to produce soon or else the fans will grow in frustration at our expensive summer signing from Motherwell.
I would like to see two in central midfield perhaps, or a change in the central trio. It's interesting that Arsenal loanee, Dan Crowley is still our of the team despite obvious playmaking ability.
On the bright side, our defence looks solid this season, with Chey Dunkley and Charlie Raglan now our main centre back partnership.
Time to make the long train journey back across London. We were unlucky tonight, the remainder of the season still excites me greatly.
-Michael
Saturday, 17 September 2016
MK Dons 0-0 Oxford Utd
Today I would be heading to Stadium MK for the first time to watch my beloved Oxford United. A new ground for me, and from what the papers have been saying, I am making the trip with 3,500 other Oxford fans. Terrific effort.
I picked up my friend Will at 12.30, gave him a spare Oxford shirt of mine and begun the hour drive to Milton Keynes. Will is not an Oxford fan, all my life he has cared about how we perform and is interested in the players we have, he's happy when we do well. However, the interest from Will in the club, like so many others, has risen given our recent success.
We make the drive easily, following the mayor of Oxford pretty much for the entirety of the journey, he has the numberplate 'FC 1' - very sort after.
Parking was easy enough to find in the residential areas around the stadium. There were no pubs near the ground though which was disappointing; a distinct lack of pre-match atmosphere as it looked as if MK Dons had very few fans.
We took our seats in the upper tier and admired the away following. This following is unprecedented, our largest since West Ham away in 2010. It is special to see so many travelling fans at this stadium, having all been through so much together, up and down the country at FAR less attractive grounds than the padded seats of Stadium MK.
But those grounds had far more character than this stadium. It was strange. As we kicked off there were tonnes of empty seats and the atmosphere non-existent from the MK fans. I'd take Dagenham or Southend away any day over an empty, characterless stadium like this.
United were unchanged from the eleven that started against Swindon. The bench saw one change, Tyler Roberts replacing the injured Kane Hemmings. Chris Maguire had barely trained this week due to illness and immediately you could tell he looked a shadow of the player we saw last week in the derby.
Milton Keynes' main threat came up front in the form of Kieran Agard, the striker netted consistently for Bristol City last season in the Championship. The Dons also had George Baldock at right-back, the player hugely admired from us Oxford fans as he performed incredibly in his stint with us last season. Writing in the programme, Baldock spoke of his love for the club and fans of Oxford United.
Immediately Baldock reminded us of his class, overlapping with pace and cleverly positioning himself when needing to defend. He has improved.
Milton Keynes, like many other teams, were keen to man mark John Lundstram. Lundstram has the ability to dictate the tempo of the game with his fantastic range of passing. It's interesting to see Joe Rothwell alongside Lundstram, a similar sort of player and it raises a problem for the opposition of who to mark: Lundstram or Rothwell? To man mark both would be detrimental.
Liam Sercombe had the difficult task of linking up with Wes Thomas today. The fitness levels required for this role are truly impressive, and today Sercombe was left isolated with too much responsibility so struggled.
The opening to the game saw little in the way of chances for both teams, Thomas went close but for a fine save. In the process he injured himself and limped off to be substituted by Ryan Taylor on 25 minutes.
Our style of play was altered immediately, longer balls forward favoured Taylor.
At the other end, Chey Dunkley and Charlie Raglan were doing a tremendous job quelling the threat of Agard. They both stood tightly to the centre forward, allowing no through balls to reach the fast striker.
Come half time both teams had mustered relatively little. There were interesting battles between players developing, but neither had forced the issue. Marvin Johnson was having no luck against Baldock.
Half time gave us a chance to sit down on the padded seats. Unbelievably comfortable.
No changes for either team at the break, but Maguire and Johnson repeatedly swapped wings as the match developed to try and break through the Dons defence.
United were rewarded for their perseverance by winning an indirect free kick on the penalty. Maguire stepped up and saw his shot deflect out from the nine-man wall.
The Yellows had numerous shots from outside the area to no avail. Lundstram coming the closest with a drive from 30 yards. All that was missing was a piece of star quality, quality we had in the form of Kemar Roofe last season.
Both wingers looked out of sorts for United today, which was a shame. Johnson looked unfit and Maguire had no spark.
Sercombe had a chance from the edge of the area that David Martin tipped over well. But more often than not United would fumble in position on the edge of the box.
Agard got behind the United defence for the first time on 89 minutes, one on one with Simon Eastwood he saw his shot saved with legs of the keeper. A fine save from Eastwood, who is proving quite the keeper. Great distribution and a fine shot stopper; the replacement we were looking for after the inconsistent Sam Slocombe.
That was full time. A very poor game if you like goals and action (like most people), but good if you like analysing individual battles.
A draw was the fair result, we could not complain with that. Baldock came over to the 3,500 Oxford fans and gave his shirt to a young Oxford fan, never has a player made such an impression in such a short space of time at the club.
Man of the match for me, was Joe Rothwell. He show real glimpses of genuine quality as he ventures forward. He has balance and composure coupled with an eye for passing. All that needs improving is his fitness. The real dilemma for United is who to drop from central midfield; we have the likes of Ryan Ledson and Dan Crowley who also play centrally.
It's a nice problem to have, and this club is heading in the right direction! Yellows!
-Michael
I picked up my friend Will at 12.30, gave him a spare Oxford shirt of mine and begun the hour drive to Milton Keynes. Will is not an Oxford fan, all my life he has cared about how we perform and is interested in the players we have, he's happy when we do well. However, the interest from Will in the club, like so many others, has risen given our recent success.
We make the drive easily, following the mayor of Oxford pretty much for the entirety of the journey, he has the numberplate 'FC 1' - very sort after.
Parking was easy enough to find in the residential areas around the stadium. There were no pubs near the ground though which was disappointing; a distinct lack of pre-match atmosphere as it looked as if MK Dons had very few fans.
We took our seats in the upper tier and admired the away following. This following is unprecedented, our largest since West Ham away in 2010. It is special to see so many travelling fans at this stadium, having all been through so much together, up and down the country at FAR less attractive grounds than the padded seats of Stadium MK.
But those grounds had far more character than this stadium. It was strange. As we kicked off there were tonnes of empty seats and the atmosphere non-existent from the MK fans. I'd take Dagenham or Southend away any day over an empty, characterless stadium like this.
United were unchanged from the eleven that started against Swindon. The bench saw one change, Tyler Roberts replacing the injured Kane Hemmings. Chris Maguire had barely trained this week due to illness and immediately you could tell he looked a shadow of the player we saw last week in the derby.
Milton Keynes' main threat came up front in the form of Kieran Agard, the striker netted consistently for Bristol City last season in the Championship. The Dons also had George Baldock at right-back, the player hugely admired from us Oxford fans as he performed incredibly in his stint with us last season. Writing in the programme, Baldock spoke of his love for the club and fans of Oxford United.
Immediately Baldock reminded us of his class, overlapping with pace and cleverly positioning himself when needing to defend. He has improved.
Milton Keynes, like many other teams, were keen to man mark John Lundstram. Lundstram has the ability to dictate the tempo of the game with his fantastic range of passing. It's interesting to see Joe Rothwell alongside Lundstram, a similar sort of player and it raises a problem for the opposition of who to mark: Lundstram or Rothwell? To man mark both would be detrimental.
Liam Sercombe had the difficult task of linking up with Wes Thomas today. The fitness levels required for this role are truly impressive, and today Sercombe was left isolated with too much responsibility so struggled.
The opening to the game saw little in the way of chances for both teams, Thomas went close but for a fine save. In the process he injured himself and limped off to be substituted by Ryan Taylor on 25 minutes.
Our style of play was altered immediately, longer balls forward favoured Taylor.
At the other end, Chey Dunkley and Charlie Raglan were doing a tremendous job quelling the threat of Agard. They both stood tightly to the centre forward, allowing no through balls to reach the fast striker.
Come half time both teams had mustered relatively little. There were interesting battles between players developing, but neither had forced the issue. Marvin Johnson was having no luck against Baldock.
Half time gave us a chance to sit down on the padded seats. Unbelievably comfortable.
No changes for either team at the break, but Maguire and Johnson repeatedly swapped wings as the match developed to try and break through the Dons defence.
United were rewarded for their perseverance by winning an indirect free kick on the penalty. Maguire stepped up and saw his shot deflect out from the nine-man wall.
The Yellows had numerous shots from outside the area to no avail. Lundstram coming the closest with a drive from 30 yards. All that was missing was a piece of star quality, quality we had in the form of Kemar Roofe last season.
Both wingers looked out of sorts for United today, which was a shame. Johnson looked unfit and Maguire had no spark.
Sercombe had a chance from the edge of the area that David Martin tipped over well. But more often than not United would fumble in position on the edge of the box.
Agard got behind the United defence for the first time on 89 minutes, one on one with Simon Eastwood he saw his shot saved with legs of the keeper. A fine save from Eastwood, who is proving quite the keeper. Great distribution and a fine shot stopper; the replacement we were looking for after the inconsistent Sam Slocombe.
That was full time. A very poor game if you like goals and action (like most people), but good if you like analysing individual battles.
A draw was the fair result, we could not complain with that. Baldock came over to the 3,500 Oxford fans and gave his shirt to a young Oxford fan, never has a player made such an impression in such a short space of time at the club.
Man of the match for me, was Joe Rothwell. He show real glimpses of genuine quality as he ventures forward. He has balance and composure coupled with an eye for passing. All that needs improving is his fitness. The real dilemma for United is who to drop from central midfield; we have the likes of Ryan Ledson and Dan Crowley who also play centrally.
It's a nice problem to have, and this club is heading in the right direction! Yellows!
-Michael
Saturday, 10 September 2016
Oxford Utd 2-0 Swindon Town
I'd timed my return from travelling Europe rather well. Sure, I'd missed Oxford's opening few fixtures but I was back for the first massive fixture of the season - Swindon at home. I was excited to see the new names take centre-stage after hearing much about each individual signing from my friends and Dad whilst away.
Oxford had won their last two games at home going into today's fixture; less than convincing wins against Rochdale and Peterborough had given us some momentum ahead of the derby clash.
Today's line-up saw a change in central midfield as Joe Rothwell would partner John Lundstram in dictating the tempo in front of our defence. Liam Sercombe would be the central midfielder that plays higher up the pitch, linking up with lone striker Wes Thomas. Big money signing Marvin Johnson, whom I was very excited to see was to play left midfield, with Chris Maguire on the right. He always thrives on the big crowd.
And today's crowd was big! A sellout, and as the teams came out every person in the East Stand waved a flag strapped to their seat pre-match to reveal a yellow and blue pattern - quite the spectacle. The blue touch paper was well and truly lit.
I noted Swindon still had their keeper Lawrence Vigoroux between the sticks, telling my Dad 'can't believe they've kept hold of him over the summer'. I've seen dodgy performances from this keeper more often than not, often over-confident and nonchalant.
The game started at a slow pace, both teams wanted to play football. And for the early part Oxford were more successful in breaking down the five man Swindon back line. Swindon, despite their efforts could not set free any of their strikers and lacked a playmaker.
Shots flew in from far from Maguire and Lundstram, but there was nothing clear-cut of note as half an hour passed. Thomas looked isolated up front and needed the likes of Johnson and Maguire to run in behind him. It begged the question, why didn't we start one of our more physical players such as Kane Hemmings or Ryan Taylor?
Oxford efforts came and went, the crowd were simmering without boiling over until Maguire jogged passed the Swindon fans with the 'calm down' gesture waved at them. This cranked the decibel level up.
But it was Sercombe's tireless efforts brought the first flash point of the affair. He drove down the left and cut inside, before being tripped on the edge of the area. Referee Stuart Attwell deemed it outside the box but the linesman had flagged for a penalty. I must admit I thought the trip was outside the area, although Sercombe did fall well inside the box.
Maguire stepped up, the protests meant there was quite the delay before he struck a fierce shot into the top right corner, Vigoroux only managing a finger on the ball. One nil - delight in the home end. Maguire ran off to celebrate in front of the Swindon fans who unsurprisingly proceeded to throw bottles of beer at the celebrating players. There is a new hatred developing today!
The goal came on 44 minutes. Swindon managed to muster a chance before the whistle, some neat interchanging play brought a penalty appeal that was waved away by the referee to the horror of the Swindon players. Lloyd Jones saw yellow for his choice words.
That was half time. A half Oxford edged, but only just. The difference between the two teams had been Oxford's confident play in the final third.
Swindon made the brighter of starts to the second period, Simon Eastwood was called on early on to make a save from Johnny Goddard. A superb blocked save it was too, the ball ricocheting to the alone, onside Goddard, who will feel he should have scored with the time he had.
The game felt far more open than the first half, we had a real corker in stall here. Rothwell had a shot tipped round the post by Vigoroux, who showed his shot stopping ability.
But a matter of minutes later he was left red-faced as The U's doubled their lead. A routine back pass was chased down by Maguire, who optimistically slid to block the clearance, but Vigorous's clearance came off the sole of his foot into the back of the net! It was an amazing moment. The crowd erupted, such a rare moment and it came in a derby, an unforgettable derby moment.
Now Swindon were riled, they failed to muster anything before Jones, who was booked for dissent in the first half, picked up a second yellow for colliding with Sercombe.
Despite the reduction to ten men, Swindon faced another golden chance to score. Darnell Furlong shot wide from close range and you felt that if The Robins were going to get back into the match then that had to hit the back of the net.
The U's had a golden opportunity to make it three. Marvin Johnson escaped down the left flank with just one defender in his way. He could have picked out Maguire for a tap in and a hat trick for the Scotsman, but Johnson wanted his first goal for the club and shot narrowly wide to the disgust of Maguire. He should have passed, that much was obvious.
Alex MacDonald was introduced late on and went into a challenge with Swindon keeper Vigoroux with both feet and studs up, this could have caused serious damage to the keeper. Thankfully, he wasn't hurt but proceeded to fight MacDonald, luckily a defender intervened so his punch didn't make contact with MacDonald's face.
The Swindon keeper saw red for his reaction which really did cap off a shocking day at the office for him. Somehow MacDonald only received a yellow for double-footing the keepers face.
Down to nine men and with an outfield player in goal, it was quite the way for a derby to end for Swindon. But that was the final action, six wins in a row for Oxford against their rivals! Delighted.
As the players shook hands a Swindon player booted the ball at our left-back, Joe Skarz. Big mistake. This caused about the fifth fight of the day, Skarz FUMING, he pushed the linesman out the way and continued his pursuit for the man who whacked the ball in his face. A cheap blow it must be said from the Swindon lad. Eventually, the players made their way down the tunnel and Swindon fans were held inside the grown until Oxford fans departed the stadium car park.
Today was a brilliant reintroduction to football for me. It was great to see the players that had given me so much joy last season again and some new faces.
Standout performances include Maguire, who's antics and goals today will go down in Oxford folk law. I thought Sercombe was excellent, it was him who won the penalty for Oxford and got Jones sent off. Lundstram also had a terrific game; fired up and lively without boiling over. It must be said Wes Thomas looked out of his depth as a lone striker despite a much improved second half performance from the lad.
And so we march on! MK Dons away next week, see you there.
-Michael
Oxford had won their last two games at home going into today's fixture; less than convincing wins against Rochdale and Peterborough had given us some momentum ahead of the derby clash.
Today's line-up saw a change in central midfield as Joe Rothwell would partner John Lundstram in dictating the tempo in front of our defence. Liam Sercombe would be the central midfielder that plays higher up the pitch, linking up with lone striker Wes Thomas. Big money signing Marvin Johnson, whom I was very excited to see was to play left midfield, with Chris Maguire on the right. He always thrives on the big crowd.
And today's crowd was big! A sellout, and as the teams came out every person in the East Stand waved a flag strapped to their seat pre-match to reveal a yellow and blue pattern - quite the spectacle. The blue touch paper was well and truly lit.
I noted Swindon still had their keeper Lawrence Vigoroux between the sticks, telling my Dad 'can't believe they've kept hold of him over the summer'. I've seen dodgy performances from this keeper more often than not, often over-confident and nonchalant.
The game started at a slow pace, both teams wanted to play football. And for the early part Oxford were more successful in breaking down the five man Swindon back line. Swindon, despite their efforts could not set free any of their strikers and lacked a playmaker.
Shots flew in from far from Maguire and Lundstram, but there was nothing clear-cut of note as half an hour passed. Thomas looked isolated up front and needed the likes of Johnson and Maguire to run in behind him. It begged the question, why didn't we start one of our more physical players such as Kane Hemmings or Ryan Taylor?
Oxford efforts came and went, the crowd were simmering without boiling over until Maguire jogged passed the Swindon fans with the 'calm down' gesture waved at them. This cranked the decibel level up.
But it was Sercombe's tireless efforts brought the first flash point of the affair. He drove down the left and cut inside, before being tripped on the edge of the area. Referee Stuart Attwell deemed it outside the box but the linesman had flagged for a penalty. I must admit I thought the trip was outside the area, although Sercombe did fall well inside the box.
Maguire stepped up, the protests meant there was quite the delay before he struck a fierce shot into the top right corner, Vigoroux only managing a finger on the ball. One nil - delight in the home end. Maguire ran off to celebrate in front of the Swindon fans who unsurprisingly proceeded to throw bottles of beer at the celebrating players. There is a new hatred developing today!
The goal came on 44 minutes. Swindon managed to muster a chance before the whistle, some neat interchanging play brought a penalty appeal that was waved away by the referee to the horror of the Swindon players. Lloyd Jones saw yellow for his choice words.
That was half time. A half Oxford edged, but only just. The difference between the two teams had been Oxford's confident play in the final third.
Swindon made the brighter of starts to the second period, Simon Eastwood was called on early on to make a save from Johnny Goddard. A superb blocked save it was too, the ball ricocheting to the alone, onside Goddard, who will feel he should have scored with the time he had.
The game felt far more open than the first half, we had a real corker in stall here. Rothwell had a shot tipped round the post by Vigoroux, who showed his shot stopping ability.
But a matter of minutes later he was left red-faced as The U's doubled their lead. A routine back pass was chased down by Maguire, who optimistically slid to block the clearance, but Vigorous's clearance came off the sole of his foot into the back of the net! It was an amazing moment. The crowd erupted, such a rare moment and it came in a derby, an unforgettable derby moment.
Now Swindon were riled, they failed to muster anything before Jones, who was booked for dissent in the first half, picked up a second yellow for colliding with Sercombe.
Despite the reduction to ten men, Swindon faced another golden chance to score. Darnell Furlong shot wide from close range and you felt that if The Robins were going to get back into the match then that had to hit the back of the net.
The U's had a golden opportunity to make it three. Marvin Johnson escaped down the left flank with just one defender in his way. He could have picked out Maguire for a tap in and a hat trick for the Scotsman, but Johnson wanted his first goal for the club and shot narrowly wide to the disgust of Maguire. He should have passed, that much was obvious.
Alex MacDonald was introduced late on and went into a challenge with Swindon keeper Vigoroux with both feet and studs up, this could have caused serious damage to the keeper. Thankfully, he wasn't hurt but proceeded to fight MacDonald, luckily a defender intervened so his punch didn't make contact with MacDonald's face.
The Swindon keeper saw red for his reaction which really did cap off a shocking day at the office for him. Somehow MacDonald only received a yellow for double-footing the keepers face.
Down to nine men and with an outfield player in goal, it was quite the way for a derby to end for Swindon. But that was the final action, six wins in a row for Oxford against their rivals! Delighted.
As the players shook hands a Swindon player booted the ball at our left-back, Joe Skarz. Big mistake. This caused about the fifth fight of the day, Skarz FUMING, he pushed the linesman out the way and continued his pursuit for the man who whacked the ball in his face. A cheap blow it must be said from the Swindon lad. Eventually, the players made their way down the tunnel and Swindon fans were held inside the grown until Oxford fans departed the stadium car park.
Today was a brilliant reintroduction to football for me. It was great to see the players that had given me so much joy last season again and some new faces.
Standout performances include Maguire, who's antics and goals today will go down in Oxford folk law. I thought Sercombe was excellent, it was him who won the penalty for Oxford and got Jones sent off. Lundstram also had a terrific game; fired up and lively without boiling over. It must be said Wes Thomas looked out of his depth as a lone striker despite a much improved second half performance from the lad.
And so we march on! MK Dons away next week, see you there.
-Michael
Saturday, 7 May 2016
Oxford Utd 3-0 Wycombe Wanderers
First of all, GET IN THERE!!!!!
Maguire fizzed another freekick just passed the post shortly after the goal. United were in full swing now and looked like scoring another. Maguire was having a fantastic game, he seemed to light up the attack every time he received the ball, what Roofe had been doing for most of the season.
And it was that man Roofe that forced a penalty in the 70th minute. Clumsily barged over in the penalty area by the Wycombe centre-back as he ran with the ball through the box. Maguire stepped up to calmly convert the penalty like he had done last week.
That was the goal that sealed promotion for Oxford. There was to be no way back for Wycombe now; we never let two goal leads slip. As the stadium was in jubilation, I looked over to the open-ended 'fence end' where some were stood on top of a van because they did not have a ticket - all of which were now swinging their shirts above their heads jumping around - hilarious.
Hylton, MacDonald and Roofe all left the arena to standing ovations. On came O'Dowda, Jordan Bowery and George Waring. I would like to have seen James Roberts brought on instead of Waring because the young lad has been through so much this year, but mainly because Waring is not very good (to be kind). It will probably be the big man's last game for us as he returns to Stoke after his loan spell.
Five minutes were added on and chants of 'We are going up' rang around a now noucning Kassam Stadium. O'Dowda showed great pace in the last minute to get round the once timewasting Jombati, before tripping in the box, getting back up, and cooly slotting past the goalkeeper.
It was party time at the Kassam. The fans began to line the edge of the pitch despite the announcer over the tanoy repeatedly telling us not to pitch invade.
But that was it. PROMOTION! We had done it! We ran onto the pitch euphoric, everyone so relieved and exhausted from the season that had just been. Roofe stayed on the pitch the longest to be embraced by the fans.
Elsewhere, Accrington had surprisingly drawn 0-0 (the first time they have failed to score at home all season), and Bristol Rovers had scored a last minute winner to beat Dagenham 2-1. This meant Rovers were to finish third, us second. Whilst Stanley must go from the play offs despite starting the day in second. I feel so sorry for Accrington - they have the smallest budget in football league and promotion for them will be up there with Leicester winning the Premier League in my opinion.
As we returned to our seats the player's came out for a lap of honour. TV crews and photographers surrounding them, I felt immensly proud of our team. We deserved this.
As we drove home, Michael Appleton said we had been the best footballing team in the division, despite finishing second. He is right, we played far more games than Northampton (or frankly anyone in all four divisions) and everywhere we have gone the opposition have applauded our style. This tyle is testimony to Appleton and his backroom staff, I have never seen us play this well in my lifetime.
The performance of the player's today was fantastic. They rose to the occassion and played their normal game, unnerved by the antics of Wycombe.
Ruffels was outstanding today. And tribute must be paid to Kenny at right-back, who is consistently performing for us. He may return to Everton over the summer, but he will be remembered fondly here. But Maguire was man of the match today, his determination and desire to get promotion was amazing to see, he looked comfortable on the ball and had the skills to beat any defender today.
An incredible season. Beating Brentford 4-0 in the League Cup, beating Swindon in the JPT, overcoming higher league opponents to make the JPT final, beating Swansea 3-2 in the FA Cup shock of the season, and today. It's a season that will live long in the memory.
I can't wait for League One.
THE U'S ARE GOING UP!!!!!!!!!!
-Michael
To say I was nervous prior to kick off was an
understatement. We arrived at the Kassam and went for a few beers at the
Holiday Inn to calm the nerves.
On this gloriously hot sunny day it was a sell-out, and the atmosphere
was building nicely as kick off grew closer, with the long queue to the
turnstile breaking into singsong as they waited.
It was quite simple. Win and we would be automatically
promoted to League One. A draw could see us up, but that would depend on Accrington
Stanley and Bristol Rovers’ results, we didn’t want to depend on others.
The team would be buoyed by the last victory away to
Carlisle (see previous match report), and by the fantastic atmosphere inside
the stadium.
There were a couple of changes to the starting line-up today;
Josh Ruffels was in his unnatural position of left-back at the expense of Joe
Skarz after his injury returned. This meant John Lundstram was welcomed back to
central midfield to partner Liam Sercombe.
While up front, Kemar Roofe was deemed fit after last week’s
injury to replace an unlucky Callum O’Dowda.
As the players walked out of the tunnel a display of diagonal
yellow and blue greeted them in the East Stand, lit up by the intense sunlight.
With the electric buzz surrounding us, I just knew that today was to be our
day.
The early spells suggested that this was to be a tight game.
Danny Hylton fashioned an early chance and narrowly shot passed the keeper’s
right post, while Chris Maguire’s free kick only just eluded the same post.
Wycombe posed no threat up top and were set on frustrating
us through timewasting. In particular, left-back Sido Jombati seemed to love
taking his time at throw-ins.
Word was getting around that Dagenham & Redbridge were
beating Bristol Rovers 1-0 and chants of ‘one nil to the Dagenham’ erupted
across the ground! Good stuff, but Rovers equalised five minutes later…
As the timewasting continued, the frustration was growing in
the stands. On the pitch, however, the player’s remained calm and played well.
The chances continued to flow all off-target, but we knew that if we continued
like this, we would get our reward in the second half.
Somehow only one minute was added on at half-time despite
the disruption Wycombe’s timewasting techniques caused. Both Rovers and Stanley
were drawing at half-time which eased the tense atmosphere.
As the game restarted, Ruffels looked totally at ease at
left-back, and a driving run forced an Oxford corner. My brother, who shall now
be known as ‘Mystic Joe’, said just before it was whipped in “Dunkley will head
this in” …and that is exactly what happened. Maguire’s ball was beautifully
whipped into the danger zone, and Chey Dunkley’s perfectly timed run meant he
powered the header passed the keeper.
Cue pandemonium. The player’s passionately sprinted to the
corner of the East Stand and bundled over each other, the fans went wild. It
was a goal that will be heard in Bristol and Lancashire.
I was delighted for Dunkley. He couldn’t get a game before
the turn of the year, and when he did he didn’t look too convincing. But the
transformation after some minutes under his belt has been truly remarkable. He
is now a first choice centre back, someone we know will win all the aerial
battles, and as he just showed: will score goals too – that was his fourth this
season.
The goal released a lot of tension. The chants began to flow
with more belief that we were going to do it, and Wycombe had stopped
timewasting. HAHA!
Maguire fizzed another freekick just passed the post shortly after the goal. United were in full swing now and looked like scoring another. Maguire was having a fantastic game, he seemed to light up the attack every time he received the ball, what Roofe had been doing for most of the season.
And it was that man Roofe that forced a penalty in the 70th minute. Clumsily barged over in the penalty area by the Wycombe centre-back as he ran with the ball through the box. Maguire stepped up to calmly convert the penalty like he had done last week.
That was the goal that sealed promotion for Oxford. There was to be no way back for Wycombe now; we never let two goal leads slip. As the stadium was in jubilation, I looked over to the open-ended 'fence end' where some were stood on top of a van because they did not have a ticket - all of which were now swinging their shirts above their heads jumping around - hilarious.
Hylton, MacDonald and Roofe all left the arena to standing ovations. On came O'Dowda, Jordan Bowery and George Waring. I would like to have seen James Roberts brought on instead of Waring because the young lad has been through so much this year, but mainly because Waring is not very good (to be kind). It will probably be the big man's last game for us as he returns to Stoke after his loan spell.
Five minutes were added on and chants of 'We are going up' rang around a now noucning Kassam Stadium. O'Dowda showed great pace in the last minute to get round the once timewasting Jombati, before tripping in the box, getting back up, and cooly slotting past the goalkeeper.
It was party time at the Kassam. The fans began to line the edge of the pitch despite the announcer over the tanoy repeatedly telling us not to pitch invade.
But that was it. PROMOTION! We had done it! We ran onto the pitch euphoric, everyone so relieved and exhausted from the season that had just been. Roofe stayed on the pitch the longest to be embraced by the fans.
Elsewhere, Accrington had surprisingly drawn 0-0 (the first time they have failed to score at home all season), and Bristol Rovers had scored a last minute winner to beat Dagenham 2-1. This meant Rovers were to finish third, us second. Whilst Stanley must go from the play offs despite starting the day in second. I feel so sorry for Accrington - they have the smallest budget in football league and promotion for them will be up there with Leicester winning the Premier League in my opinion.
As we returned to our seats the player's came out for a lap of honour. TV crews and photographers surrounding them, I felt immensly proud of our team. We deserved this.
As we drove home, Michael Appleton said we had been the best footballing team in the division, despite finishing second. He is right, we played far more games than Northampton (or frankly anyone in all four divisions) and everywhere we have gone the opposition have applauded our style. This tyle is testimony to Appleton and his backroom staff, I have never seen us play this well in my lifetime.
The performance of the player's today was fantastic. They rose to the occassion and played their normal game, unnerved by the antics of Wycombe.
Ruffels was outstanding today. And tribute must be paid to Kenny at right-back, who is consistently performing for us. He may return to Everton over the summer, but he will be remembered fondly here. But Maguire was man of the match today, his determination and desire to get promotion was amazing to see, he looked comfortable on the ball and had the skills to beat any defender today.
An incredible season. Beating Brentford 4-0 in the League Cup, beating Swindon in the JPT, overcoming higher league opponents to make the JPT final, beating Swansea 3-2 in the FA Cup shock of the season, and today. It's a season that will live long in the memory.
I can't wait for League One.
THE U'S ARE GOING UP!!!!!!!!!!
-Michael
Saturday, 30 April 2016
Carlisle Utd 0-2 Oxford Utd
The longest away day of the season was upon us. Today, we could gain promotion to League One if we are victorious and Bristol Rovers lose at already relegated York City.
The day started at 6am. Up and downloading films onto my iPad for the ten hour round-trip that lay ahead, I was so excited for the match.
As we headed up the M6 it was clear that the following was going to be larger than the anticipated 1,400. We were continuously encountering cars donning the yellow scarves and drivers in their kits. The service stations were largely taken up with Oxford fans taking pit-stops on the way to Cumbria - it was terrific, something I've never experienced before.
I knew Carlisle was far. But when we began driving through snowy mountain territory it hit me just how far from the rest of northern England they were. When we parked up we were only ten minutes from the Scotland border.
We headed to the local pub where chairman Darryl Eales had promised a free pint and hot dog for the first 1,000 Oxford fans that turn up. A small but well appreciated gesture from the chairman, who was also stood amongst us in the away terrace at Brunton Park.
The town of Carlisle had suffered devastating flooding over Christmas. We knew the damage had been bad, but now, at the end of April the effects were still there for all to see. Despite Brunton Park refurbishing the turf, the homes surrounding the ground were almost all uninhabited, with skips lining the streets of what must have once been a lovely place to live. It was a rather sad sight as we walked to the ground.
Brunton Park itself is an old-style ground. With the roof of two stands angled like those of a typical detached house, except with some aspestos-esq material covering them. Whilst the terrace behind the goal where I was stood had no cover. This stand is usually empty, but due to the unprecedented quantity of away fans in Carlisle, it was open for business.
Callum O'Dowda was back in the starting XI for the first time since his illness, replacing Kemar Roofe who was injured in the warm up. That was the only change for United, O'Dowda would start up front with Danny Hylton, but interchange continuously with Alex MacDonald and Chris Maguire throughout the match.
The players were greeted with yellow streamers and a host of flags as they came out onto the pitch. It was a fantastic atmosphere created by the 2,400 strong away support.
And Oxford got the perfect start. Just four minutes in Hylton glided past a defender before passing to Maguire who was upended by Luke Joyce. Penalty to United. Maguire was the coolest man in Carlisle to sidefoot the ball to the right of the goalkeeper.
Pressure on the Carlisle goal followed from Oxford who continued to pass with confidence. In defence, Jake Wright and Chey Dunkley defended admirably, whilst Jonjoe Kenny delivered another attacking option from Right Back.
O'Dowda fashioned the best chances for Oxford but often lacked end product. His decision making was questionable as United moved into the final third. His build up play, however, is truly fantastic - it seems he can beat any player one on one.
Throughout the season, Oxford have successfully got in behind the opposition's midfield and run at their defence with such threat time and time again. Something I have seen little of in the seasons gone by.
News was coming through that Bristol Rovers were comfortably winning away at York. This meant the atmosphere in the away end grew nervy. The chanting dampened down as Carlisle grew into the game, some poor refereeing decisions also meant the game hung in the balance come half time. It is fair to say that at this point, no one in the Oxford section was enjoying the match - we needed another goal.
Talking of poor refereeing decisions, about ten minutes into the second half the ball seemed to strike Kenny on the arm inside our penalty area. The whole ground was awaiting the referees whistle and a point to the penalty spot, but it did not come. I couldn't believe it. This is why we needed the second goal! Too often this season I've seen us dominate games to be struck back by one moment of opposition intent.
Soon after this Maguire, who had been closing down admirably all game, blocked Carlisle keeper's attempted pass, only for the keeper to get back onto his goal line before the ball rolled over. That would have been a hilarious way to make it two nil.
John Lundstram's introduction seemed to calm us down. He came on for a still-injured Joe Skarz. With no fit Left Back's on the bench, Josh Ruffels dropped into that position. I have a lot of respect for versatile footballers, and Ruffels proved he was one today with some fantastically committed defending to keep Carlisle's attacks at bay.
Benji Buchel made a smart save from the big man Jabo Ibhere as the striker was through one on one. That was just before Hylton intercepted a goalkeepers pass to be taken down on the edge of the area. It was inches from being inside the box. The ref deemed it only a yellow card offence to the bewilderment of us behind the goal.
After which Liam Sercombe made it 2-0 to Oxford. O'Dowda made another one of his runs from midfield and correctly played in an overlapping Sercombe, who hit it too low and hard for goalkeeper Gillespie to prevent.
The goal was greeted with absolute jubilation. The relief was tangible, we had secured three points on a day we had to. The scenes were pretty mental in all honesty and once settled down I looked down to see a cut across the back of my hand - absolutely no idea how I got it.
Sercombe has stepped up to the mark a countless number of times for us this season. He is a brilliant box-to-box central midfielder who has the stamina and an attitude to make him a fan favourite.
The remainder of the game was far more relaxed, Oxford knew the game was safe if they continued to control possession. Carlisle were one of the easier teams to watch on the eye; they too passed the ball well and did not resort to frustrating us with time wasting techniques. Although one player was extremely late with a challenge on Buchel in the last minute.
Full time. We had won, we were not promoted, but we had won. As all the players came round to rightly applaud the strong away following, there was a sense that only half the job was done with Bristol Rovers and Accrington Stanley winning.
We are now only 90 minutes away from automatic promotion, our fate remains in our hands, so a win would see us into League One next season. We defended brilliantly today and took our chances when it mattered, if we do the same next weekend I have no doubt we will go up. Although, we are playing Wycombe, Wycombe are a team that typically play ugly - this could disrupt our usual game. I'm already so nervous.
Time for the five hour car journey home...
-Michael
The day started at 6am. Up and downloading films onto my iPad for the ten hour round-trip that lay ahead, I was so excited for the match.
As we headed up the M6 it was clear that the following was going to be larger than the anticipated 1,400. We were continuously encountering cars donning the yellow scarves and drivers in their kits. The service stations were largely taken up with Oxford fans taking pit-stops on the way to Cumbria - it was terrific, something I've never experienced before.
I knew Carlisle was far. But when we began driving through snowy mountain territory it hit me just how far from the rest of northern England they were. When we parked up we were only ten minutes from the Scotland border.
We headed to the local pub where chairman Darryl Eales had promised a free pint and hot dog for the first 1,000 Oxford fans that turn up. A small but well appreciated gesture from the chairman, who was also stood amongst us in the away terrace at Brunton Park.
The town of Carlisle had suffered devastating flooding over Christmas. We knew the damage had been bad, but now, at the end of April the effects were still there for all to see. Despite Brunton Park refurbishing the turf, the homes surrounding the ground were almost all uninhabited, with skips lining the streets of what must have once been a lovely place to live. It was a rather sad sight as we walked to the ground.
Brunton Park itself is an old-style ground. With the roof of two stands angled like those of a typical detached house, except with some aspestos-esq material covering them. Whilst the terrace behind the goal where I was stood had no cover. This stand is usually empty, but due to the unprecedented quantity of away fans in Carlisle, it was open for business.
Callum O'Dowda was back in the starting XI for the first time since his illness, replacing Kemar Roofe who was injured in the warm up. That was the only change for United, O'Dowda would start up front with Danny Hylton, but interchange continuously with Alex MacDonald and Chris Maguire throughout the match.
The players were greeted with yellow streamers and a host of flags as they came out onto the pitch. It was a fantastic atmosphere created by the 2,400 strong away support.
And Oxford got the perfect start. Just four minutes in Hylton glided past a defender before passing to Maguire who was upended by Luke Joyce. Penalty to United. Maguire was the coolest man in Carlisle to sidefoot the ball to the right of the goalkeeper.
Pressure on the Carlisle goal followed from Oxford who continued to pass with confidence. In defence, Jake Wright and Chey Dunkley defended admirably, whilst Jonjoe Kenny delivered another attacking option from Right Back.
O'Dowda fashioned the best chances for Oxford but often lacked end product. His decision making was questionable as United moved into the final third. His build up play, however, is truly fantastic - it seems he can beat any player one on one.
Throughout the season, Oxford have successfully got in behind the opposition's midfield and run at their defence with such threat time and time again. Something I have seen little of in the seasons gone by.
News was coming through that Bristol Rovers were comfortably winning away at York. This meant the atmosphere in the away end grew nervy. The chanting dampened down as Carlisle grew into the game, some poor refereeing decisions also meant the game hung in the balance come half time. It is fair to say that at this point, no one in the Oxford section was enjoying the match - we needed another goal.
Talking of poor refereeing decisions, about ten minutes into the second half the ball seemed to strike Kenny on the arm inside our penalty area. The whole ground was awaiting the referees whistle and a point to the penalty spot, but it did not come. I couldn't believe it. This is why we needed the second goal! Too often this season I've seen us dominate games to be struck back by one moment of opposition intent.
Soon after this Maguire, who had been closing down admirably all game, blocked Carlisle keeper's attempted pass, only for the keeper to get back onto his goal line before the ball rolled over. That would have been a hilarious way to make it two nil.
John Lundstram's introduction seemed to calm us down. He came on for a still-injured Joe Skarz. With no fit Left Back's on the bench, Josh Ruffels dropped into that position. I have a lot of respect for versatile footballers, and Ruffels proved he was one today with some fantastically committed defending to keep Carlisle's attacks at bay.
Benji Buchel made a smart save from the big man Jabo Ibhere as the striker was through one on one. That was just before Hylton intercepted a goalkeepers pass to be taken down on the edge of the area. It was inches from being inside the box. The ref deemed it only a yellow card offence to the bewilderment of us behind the goal.
After which Liam Sercombe made it 2-0 to Oxford. O'Dowda made another one of his runs from midfield and correctly played in an overlapping Sercombe, who hit it too low and hard for goalkeeper Gillespie to prevent.
The goal was greeted with absolute jubilation. The relief was tangible, we had secured three points on a day we had to. The scenes were pretty mental in all honesty and once settled down I looked down to see a cut across the back of my hand - absolutely no idea how I got it.
Sercombe has stepped up to the mark a countless number of times for us this season. He is a brilliant box-to-box central midfielder who has the stamina and an attitude to make him a fan favourite.
The remainder of the game was far more relaxed, Oxford knew the game was safe if they continued to control possession. Carlisle were one of the easier teams to watch on the eye; they too passed the ball well and did not resort to frustrating us with time wasting techniques. Although one player was extremely late with a challenge on Buchel in the last minute.
Full time. We had won, we were not promoted, but we had won. As all the players came round to rightly applaud the strong away following, there was a sense that only half the job was done with Bristol Rovers and Accrington Stanley winning.
We are now only 90 minutes away from automatic promotion, our fate remains in our hands, so a win would see us into League One next season. We defended brilliantly today and took our chances when it mattered, if we do the same next weekend I have no doubt we will go up. Although, we are playing Wycombe, Wycombe are a team that typically play ugly - this could disrupt our usual game. I'm already so nervous.
Time for the five hour car journey home...
-Michael
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