A Rose by Any Other Name vs Macclesfield (L2)

Hi all -

Firstly an apology for the lack of a post after the Bristol Rovers game. Seeing as how there were over 9,000 there, you probably all saw it anyhow. It's water under the bridge now a week on, but I'd just like to highlight Ryan Clarke's excellent first half saves when the game was 0-0. It might have been very different if one of those had gone in. As it was, it ended up being a comprehensive and deserved victory over what looks like a mid table team.

On to today and away at Macclesfield. I decided to go up on the train. It's not a difficult journey, with the walk up the hill from the station to the Moss Rose being the worst bit! I'm a 'shirter' and it's always interesting when travelling by train when other supporters of all sorts of teams recognise the shirt/scarf/jesters hat/foam hand. First up were a couple of Fulham fans at Milton Keynes station. One of them reckoned he used to play for Wycombe and had played us a couple of times - might be true (who in their right mind would make up playing for Wycombe?). Anyway a bit of a natter, mutual good wishes (they were on the way to Stoke) and the train arrived. It was a change at Stoke for me as well, onto a Northern Trains errm train. A young couple spotted the shirt on that train and confessed they were Port Vale fans. Pleasant enough, but not coming to us in a couple of weeks because they had tickets for Jason Mamford apparently. Oh right. Again mutual good wishes (I had my fingers crossed though, so it didn't count) and into Macclesfield station to face the slog up the hill.

A couple of non-shirter Oxford fans spotted me and offered me and another chap a lift to the ground in their taxi. Very kind indeed, don't mind if I do. Turns out they are from Milton Keynes, so hello to them if they read this. The walk almost finished my dodgy lungs off last time, so much appreciated. Hello also to the other chap, who said he was from Sheffield. So I got to the the Moss Rose in very good time, and it brought back memories of the last time we were there (2 up at half time before Macc cheekily changed their tactics and ran out 3-2 winners. That was a terrible trip!). I was just hoping that the day went bettert his time around.

The Moss Rose shows signs of it's non-league past, but it's tidy enough and plenty big enough for the small crowds that turn up. 2,300 today apparently - with over 500 from Oxford. It must be difficult to get decent crowds with so many football clubs in such a small area. And I guess the financial situation isn't helping either, which (like so many manufacturing towns) Macclesfield looking a bit down at heel in places. Unlike some other places (Port Vale and Gilingham, I'm looking at you!) there is nice countryside very close, and the locals were pretty friendly.

The Oxford team was the normal back five (Clarke, Duberry, Wright, Batt and Davis), a midfield of Heslop, Mclaren and Leven and a nominal front three of Constable, Potter and Haworth. I guess that's a sort of 4-1-4-1 really, with McLaren sitting in front of the back four and Constable on his own up top (not my favourite role for him).

The sun was shining down , which is a good thing for the away support as the terrace is uncovered but a bad thing for the goalie at the away end as it must have been shining right in his eyes. The Macc goalie was the old Tamworth stopper Jose Veiga. More on him later, but he was in the sun first half, with the Us kicking towards the travelling fans. The low sun also had the effect of making the pitch markings very hard to see as a spectator. I could see the six yard area, just about make out the far end of the penalty box and the 'D'. After that - all guesswork.

The opening exchanges were pretty even with us making a decent start for once. In fact Macclesfield looked nervous, constantly giving the ball away. They did have couple of chances - one fizzing past Clarke's far post and one that he parried away. But it wasn't one way traffic, with Heslop hitting a shot into the goalies arms and Constable smacking one well over the bar when he might have done better. After about 20 minutes, Davis got free down the left and put in a beautiful driven cross-cum-shot. If only someone had gambled and got closer to the goal, it would have been a tap in.

Macclesfield weren't particularly dangerous in open play but were using their corners and Lewis Chalmers' long throws to threaten. An unmarked Macc striker headed wastefully over from one corner, and Clarke dived at a blue shirted attacker's feet to snuff out another attack.

Half time came. It hadn't be a particularly exciting half to be honest. We were misfiring (with too much in the air from back to front) and Macc weren't good enough to take advantage. Duberry's ball out of defence was a bit bizzare sometimes, hitting it straight up the pitch to precisely nobody. Into the corners would have been better. But his defending was top notch again. As the half had gone on, the Macc players had to a large extent given up challenging Doobs in the air - they knew he was going to win it anyway. The half time entertainment was an Under 10's side kicking the ball about. Fair enough, but the PA announcer's constant and repeated pleas for people to join the Under 10's club nearly made me want to volunteer just to shut him up. Nearly. The only thing under 10 about me is my dainty little feet. And no, it's not true what they say...

Ahem. Back to the football. Haworth had taken a knock in the first half, and was replaced by Robbie Hall at half time. Straight away, the lively Hall hit the Silkmen's crossbar, the ball flicking off to safety. Rats. Another shot from Heslop saw their goalie make a decent save. Now Veiga might be a decent shot stopper, but he can't kick. His dead ball kicks barely reached the half way line (probably - since I couldn't actually see it!), and he preferred to pass the ball to his defenders so they could hoof it for him. We were actually looking dangerous though, and it was a complete surprise when Heslop (who had carried the ball from back to front reasonably effectively and had made their goalie work) was subbed by Deane Smalley. Taking off a midfielder and replacing him with a striker? Hmm, not too sure about the wisdom of that really. Especially when that meant Smalley and Constable on the pitch together. They are very similar IMO. Neither is a real target man, neither is blessed with great speed, and both like to play down the middle.

A couple of minutes later (although not really caused by the substitution in any way), Macc took the lead. They too hit the crossbar, but instead of the ball harmlessly going over it bouced back and a Macc head put it just inside the post on the far side. Clarke was stranded and we were one down with about 20 minutes (plus important injury time) to go.

That ended Macclesfields ambition for the afternoon, seemingly they were happy to defend the one goal lead. So their game plan changed to inviting us on (and trying to hit us on the break) and wasting time, which the ref did little to stop. McLaren went off with a quarter of an hour to go, replaced by Asa Hall (wonder if him and Robbie Hal are brothers?). Normally when McLaren goes off, we ship a goal - but in this case there was little to lose, and Asa is certainly a more attacking option. Not that we looked much like getting an equaliser. Alfie hit the side netting when he might have been better pulling it back, Beano managed to get a point blank header saved by the goalie - instinctive reaction? Luck? A good save anyway. Then with just a minute left of injury time, Robbie Hall popped up with an equaliser - somehow making some space in the penalty are to silence the home fans and to give the yellow army something to cheer.
There wasn't long left, but Oxford poured forwards in search of a winner. However time ran out, and the ref blew a halt with the score 1-1.

Another away point. Brilliant. A brisk walk down the hill (so much easier!), a bit more natter with the MK-based Yellows supporters and another fan onhis way back to Oxford on the way back to Stoke and then onto MK and home. Amazing how many supporters were on the train. Not Yellows particularly, but loads of prem supporters on their way back down to London on the train.

So - the verdict? By no means a vintage Oxford performance. Too much head tennis. Erratic passing. But a good point, and due to other results largely going our way, up to third in the table.
We won't remember the game at the end of the season, but the point won't do us any harm! Man of the match - probably Clarke. He must be the best keeper in the division, and has come on leaps and bounds this season.

Next match - away at Gillingham. We will have to be better than we were today if we are going to get anything out of that one. I'll be there.

Come On You Yellows!