Confidence surrounded the Kassam Stadium ahead of the Good Friday fixture with Stevenage. A beautiful, sunny day greeted the fans who had decided to spend their bank holiday watching football. Stevenage sat just above the relegation places having lost their last five league games, and Oxford could secure a promotion spot with a win today.
Oxford skipper Jake Wright returned to the starting XI today after his injury, this meant Jonny Mullins started the afternoon at right back, a less than ideal position for the centre half. Callum O'Dowda and John-Joe Kenny were on Under 21 international duty, so the U's were somewhat underequipped for today's encounter compared to the weekend previous against Barnet.
It was Stevenage who made the brighter start. United saw little of the ball, with the instrumental John Lundstram unable to run the game as he has done so often this season. They mustered the first few shots on target, whilst Oxford produced little to get the fans off their seats in the opening ten minutes.
On fifteen minutes however, just as Oxford were getting into the game, Lundstram was shown a straight red card. His tackle was unnecessary. In the centre of midfield, with no imminent danger, he lunged in on Michael Tonge, winning the ball. Why the ref gave a red card was because he left the floor, it was a one footed high tackle. Lundstram won the ball, but Tonge, who got sent off in the reverse fixture rolled around on the ground as if he had been shot.
It was undoubtedly a stupid tackle by Lundstram, who will now miss our JPT final at Wembley due to a three match ban. But in my opinion, it was not a red card. I can see why the ref did give it, but on 15 minutes the man in the middle had ruined the spectacle.
That certainly brought the home fans to their feet for the first time in the match.
Oxford played the remainder of the half the same as they started. No substitutes, just Liam Sercombe patrolling central midfield, with one of our front two strikers tracking back to aid the lone midfielder.
Now, the feeling was that hopefully we can hold on for a point, very different to that at 3 o'clock.
Stevenage went on to produce the best chance of the first half, Greg Luer found himself one-on-one with Benji Buchel, and hit his shot across the goal just wide. A big let off for the Yellows.
On the brink of half time Oxford were awarded a penalty. Stevenage's keeper Jones was adjudged to have held back Danny Hylton from a corner, quite soft in my opinion. Sercombe stepped up to take it, he had previously scored a penalties against Swansea and Accrington. But today he missed. A tame penalty to the right of the keeper was saved comfortably. This did not improve the mood in the stands.
That was half time. Had Sercombe buried that penalty Michael Appleton would have been able to set up the team defensively for the final 45 minutes. It was another big moment in this dramatic game.
There were no changes at half time for either team and the second half begun much as the first had ended. A midfield battle with few touches for either of the teams strikers. It was clear that we would easily overcome this opposition had Lundstram not been shown red.
Despite this, Oxford took the lead fifteen minutes into the half. Fine play by Kemar Roofe who had been largely absent for most of the game, lead to him getting a cross into the danger zone, Sercombe was there to control it and poke past Jones. The noise in the stadium was something to behold. The goal was unexpected but deserved for our hard work defensively. Sercombe had attoned for his earlier penalty miss.
The ten minutes in between Oxford's goal and Stevenage's equaliser was the most enjoyable of the game. We saw more of the ball as Stevenage threatened little on the attack.
But, the team with eleven men did score. Chey Dunkley had been caught slightly out of position as they got in behind, before pulling a shot back for Morrison to drill under Buchel. It was a decent goal by the relegation-threatened team.
After Stevenage scored, Oxford brought on Josh Ruffels and George Waring. Both of whom, especially Waring, did very little to influence the game positively for Oxford.
The Yellows continued to work very hard for the remainder of the game, and their reward was a draw.
There were too many problems throughout the squad today. Roofe, such a skillful player, did not get involved at all. We also missed Lundstram once he was sent off and will struggle without his presence in the three games without him I feel. Mullins and right back meant there was no attacking threat down that side, and with the absence of O'Dowda on the left, we threatened very little down the flanks.
The game away to Cambridge on Monday is so very important now, as all the teams around us won. The pressure sure is mounting, hopefully our trip to Wembley isn't becoming a distraction. Unfortunately, I am missing that game because I out of the country... Gutted.
-Michael
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