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
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