It's that time of the year when we all look back with that most accurate of vision - hindsight. I'm not immune from this so I'll have a go as well. Before we start, I'd like to point out that my predictions before Christmas (after I'd had a look at a few matches) was that we'd finish up somewhere around 10th to 12th and that the two to go down would be Stockport and Barnet. Well, two out of three ain't bad!
Two hours later....
I've just deleted a whole load of old drivel. I was going though the season month by month, but suffice it to say that the highest we got in the table was 7th, the lowest was 21st.
Let's just do some bullet points! I could always turn it into a PowerPoint ;)
We took four points off Chesterfield and none off Stockport.
Wycombe couldn't beat us, Lincoln could.
At times the passing was excellent, at times it was aimless.
Not enough goals from the midfield or defence.
Set pieces (attacking) - awful.
Set pieces (defending) - awful.
Movement off the ball - poor.
Goalkeeping - shot stopping (especially penalties!) excellent, decision making variable, catching and kicking poor.
Defence - wobbly. Often only three at the back as a fullback was far too far upfield. Need to stand their ground sometimes rather tahn falling back and back and back.
Midfield - strengthened by the arrival of McLaren, but unable to retain or distribute the ball when challenged by a combative opponent.
Attack - didn't score enough goals. Mainly as a result of the midfield shortcomings, but also a reluctance to shoot at times!
Formation - a bit too much of a rigid 4-3-3. I'd like us to have the confidence to switch formations in a game if required. Often we were out thought when an oppostion manager made a change (Macclesfield away, Wycombe at home for example).
Players - we went through a lot of them! No point in signing wingers if we aren't going to play that system.
Discipline - not bad. A bit too quick to talk ourselves into the book sometimes.
Home crowd - a bit quiet at times, but impressive increase in numbers.
Away travel - brilliant. Supportive, loud and lots of us!
Home kit - too blue. Shirts would have been OK if the blue and yellow were switched.
Away kit - too blue! Think about it. There's no point in having an away kit that is the same colour as the home kit. Evidenced by the fact that we ended up wearing the white 'third' kit as much as the blue. Or some horrible mixture of the two.
For next season, I would like:
Defenders who defend as their primary responsibility.
A midfield that can win, retain and distribute the ball better.
An attack that will show more movement.
Passing in front of players so they can run onto the ball, rather than to them (so they have to stop) or behind them (so they get the ball with backs to goal).
Quicker movement of the ball - not hoofing, just less sideways stuff. Especially in front of our own goal with opposition attackers bearing down on us!
Less passing to a colleague who is already surrounded by three opposition players.
Less short free kicks and corners. We always lose the ball, especially when it just gets passed back to the person who took the kick and is still standing in the same place. We haven't gained anything at all from that, except that the defenders are three yards away rather than 10.
More practice of attacking and defending set pieces.
More shooting from a reasonable distance as well as the intricate stuff. That way defences have to try to close down quicker, leaving more space for the tricky stuff.
Flexibility in formation and tactics. I think we have found out this year that what works against the Chesterfields of this world doesn't work against the Stockports!
A predominantly yellow shirt that we wear home and away as much as possible. A second kit (not an 'away' kit) that is different enough from the primary kit so that we wear that when we have kit clashes.
Who would I keep?
GK: Clarke
Defence: Worley, Wright, maybe Batt and Tonkin (although both of them are borderline)
Midfield: McLaren, Payne, maybe Heslop (borderline).
Attack: Beano, TC, Alfie
I wouldn't keep:
MacLean - has dipped alarmingly, and is probably expensive. The way he's been recently, I'm not sure I'd sign him if he was cheap!
Hall - hasn't provided the goals or the creativity needed from midfield.
Most of the others (Purkiss, Kinniborough, Green, Deering, Clist, Midson) have been told they can go. Sangare looked OK in the few matches he played though.
I wouldn't mind seeing Burge and Doble back. Woodley? Doesn't look like a world beater on the little I've seen of him at first team level.
We certainly need (at least):
An experienced centre back. New LB and RB. Attacking midfielder. Nippy central striker. New GK to push Clarke.
So, first season back in the league. 'Satisfactory'? Just about. 12th is OK. Not terrible, not brilliant. We are almost exactly midtable, with the same number of wins as losses, and (near enough) the same amount of goals conceded as scored. Middling in every way.
It was nice to make the acquaintance of LincolnYellow, Leicester Yellow (who enjoyed meeting me so much he seems to have moved abroad!), Scoob and YellowHoods; none of whom I'd known before this season, all of whom I'd more than happily share a pint and/or a terrace with again next season.
So that's it. I'll try to update the blog with some stuff to keep you all amused over the football-less summer. See you all next season and....
COME ON YOU YELLOWS!!!
Oxford United, Stereo Photography, Old Amusement Machines, Odd Musical Instruments and more.
Monday, 9 May 2011
Sunday, 8 May 2011
Not very Shrewd (L2)
Hi everyone.
First just a quick apology for a few missing reports. I had other things to do.
Here's a quick round up.
Home vs Chesterfield. A good performance, but as so many times this season we couldn't turn our superiority into goals. Nice applause from our support to the Chesterfield lot, who seemed a decent bunch. Certainly the best team in the league, we have taken four points off them this season. 0-0
Away vs Barnet. Bizzare parking arrangements in the car park of the tube station. Bet that pisses of genuine tube users on match days! Pretty ordinary performance (to be kind). Barnet are fighting for their lives, our lot seemed to be waiting for the season to end. Lucky to draw 2-2.
Same sort of performance in the first half home against Lincoln. Dreadful. Obviously there was some teacup throwing at half time and we were better in the second half, coming back to win 2-1.
And so to the last match of the season, away at the new home of Shrewsbury, Glasshous, Xtension, Potting Shd, Consrtvatory, Greenhous Meadow. Apparently government cutbacks have created a lack of Es up in Shropshire.
Up the motorways, and into Shrewsbury. Now it's a bit odd that there's no parking at the Greenhous - or at least there is but it's permit only. Presumably you can buy a permit if you're a local. Very inconvenient for away fans though. So instead you park in the car park of the local government offices and get ferried to the ground in a fleet of old coaches. Hmm. Even odder when you get to the satdium and it is surrounded by green fields. A local farmer needs to diversify and offer parking in one of them. He'd clean up. Actually the fields need cleaning up. The smell was 'agricultural'.
The stadium is OK. Like many modern stadiums it is clean, efficient, modern and completely soulless. (That includes ours by the way, in case anyone thinks I'm having a pop!). Maybe they will all improve with time, with the accrued history and memories adding something to them all. The Oxford faithful travelled in numbers - as someone on the forum wisely remarked, its a RULE to go to the last away match of the season! Over 920 made the trip, which for a meaningless end of season match (for us) was a good showing. For the Shrews it wasn't meaningless though - if Wycombe tripped up they could have nipped into the automatic promotion places with a win against us.
With Jake Wright injured, Tonks moved into cental defence to partner Harry Worley and Steve Kinniborough (likely playing his last game for us) took the left back spot. Steve Maclean started in place of Alfie Potter.
It's difficult to find too much to say about the first half. It was generally pretty even, and pretty toothless from both sides. Actual shooting at goal was at a premium. There were a few things that stick in the memory. Firstly, after about a quarter of an hour news filtered through that Wycombe were a goal down, which jolted the quiet Shrews crowd into what passes for a frenzy up in Salop. They soon quietened down and about five minutes later Wycombe had equalised. Then a few of our lot had a bit of banter with one of the Shrews 'lads' in the stand closest to us. With a complete lack of humour, he went ballistic! Of course that just spurred our lot on, and he made a complete plonker of himself. He was then surpassed by other Shrews supporters in the same stand, who decided to fight amoung themselves. Pathetic. The referee was keeping interest alive by refusing to give us a decision. The most blatent of these happened just before half time when in full view of the ref, Constable was crudely shoved in the back in the Shrews penalty area. It was as obvious a penalty as you could see, the ref just waved it away. Bottle job.
Half time. There were continuing scuffles in the Shrewsbury stand. Did you know that that in Shopshirese, the words 'can you do me a black coffee please?' actually mean 'please can I have a cup of slurry with loads of milk in it?'.
We started the second half brightly, but a defensive mistake from Batt gifted a chance to Shrewsbury who gleefully accepted the chance, despite a decent effort at a save from Clarke. Craddock was crudely challenged in the Shrews area, not a penalty but he had to go off and was replaced by Alfie who immediately looked lively. But generally we were now looking second best with Shrewsbury coming close a couple of times. The we had our best chance of the match, with Beano putting Batt clear in the area. He had the whole goal to aim at. And missed. That was about it as far as chances for us were concerned. Worley had gone off to be replaced by Mich Hanson, who looks a decent prospect.
But the makeshift central defence was breeched easily by Shrewsbury in the last 20 minutes. They simply passed the ball into the space behind the defence to a man running onto the ball. (Note to Oxford: the ball was played in front of the man so he was running onto it. Not at him, so he he had to stop to collect it. And not behind him, so he had to stop AND had his back to goal. Worth considering?).
Two goals in that period made it 3-0 to the home side which was probably a fair result on the second half performance if a bit generous in the 'goals for' column. The Shrews goalie was a plonker for turning to the Oxford crowd and doing a stupid celebration when the third went in. Prat. As it happens, Wycombe had won anyway, so it made no difference. Serves him right, hope they don't win the playoffs.
Some of the home crowd didn't seem interested in watching the playoffs anyway, making a beeline over the hoardings towards us after the final whistle. One got thumped when he reached the yellows. Others got collared by the stewards and yet more decided to keep fighting each other! Is Shrewsbury some sort of overspill town for Milwall? Hopefully they'll miss not only the playoffs but also a few seasons.
Back on the bus to the car park, talking to some decent Shrews fans including one Liverpool season ticket holder who was a regular at Shrewsbury in preference to actually going to Anfield. Pretty bizzare!
A decent start to the journey home, although the battery warning light looked a bit ominous. Got close to home and broke down. Crap end to a fairly poor day. Ferried home by the AA, new battery and alternator looks like. Bugger.
I'll try to sum up my thoughts on the season in another post, although if the runours are right, any ideas on what players we need to sell/drop/buy might be pre-empted by events before I do so.
First just a quick apology for a few missing reports. I had other things to do.
Here's a quick round up.
Home vs Chesterfield. A good performance, but as so many times this season we couldn't turn our superiority into goals. Nice applause from our support to the Chesterfield lot, who seemed a decent bunch. Certainly the best team in the league, we have taken four points off them this season. 0-0
Away vs Barnet. Bizzare parking arrangements in the car park of the tube station. Bet that pisses of genuine tube users on match days! Pretty ordinary performance (to be kind). Barnet are fighting for their lives, our lot seemed to be waiting for the season to end. Lucky to draw 2-2.
Same sort of performance in the first half home against Lincoln. Dreadful. Obviously there was some teacup throwing at half time and we were better in the second half, coming back to win 2-1.
And so to the last match of the season, away at the new home of Shrewsbury, Glasshous, Xtension, Potting Shd, Consrtvatory, Greenhous Meadow. Apparently government cutbacks have created a lack of Es up in Shropshire.
Up the motorways, and into Shrewsbury. Now it's a bit odd that there's no parking at the Greenhous - or at least there is but it's permit only. Presumably you can buy a permit if you're a local. Very inconvenient for away fans though. So instead you park in the car park of the local government offices and get ferried to the ground in a fleet of old coaches. Hmm. Even odder when you get to the satdium and it is surrounded by green fields. A local farmer needs to diversify and offer parking in one of them. He'd clean up. Actually the fields need cleaning up. The smell was 'agricultural'.
The stadium is OK. Like many modern stadiums it is clean, efficient, modern and completely soulless. (That includes ours by the way, in case anyone thinks I'm having a pop!). Maybe they will all improve with time, with the accrued history and memories adding something to them all. The Oxford faithful travelled in numbers - as someone on the forum wisely remarked, its a RULE to go to the last away match of the season! Over 920 made the trip, which for a meaningless end of season match (for us) was a good showing. For the Shrews it wasn't meaningless though - if Wycombe tripped up they could have nipped into the automatic promotion places with a win against us.
With Jake Wright injured, Tonks moved into cental defence to partner Harry Worley and Steve Kinniborough (likely playing his last game for us) took the left back spot. Steve Maclean started in place of Alfie Potter.
It's difficult to find too much to say about the first half. It was generally pretty even, and pretty toothless from both sides. Actual shooting at goal was at a premium. There were a few things that stick in the memory. Firstly, after about a quarter of an hour news filtered through that Wycombe were a goal down, which jolted the quiet Shrews crowd into what passes for a frenzy up in Salop. They soon quietened down and about five minutes later Wycombe had equalised. Then a few of our lot had a bit of banter with one of the Shrews 'lads' in the stand closest to us. With a complete lack of humour, he went ballistic! Of course that just spurred our lot on, and he made a complete plonker of himself. He was then surpassed by other Shrews supporters in the same stand, who decided to fight amoung themselves. Pathetic. The referee was keeping interest alive by refusing to give us a decision. The most blatent of these happened just before half time when in full view of the ref, Constable was crudely shoved in the back in the Shrews penalty area. It was as obvious a penalty as you could see, the ref just waved it away. Bottle job.
Half time. There were continuing scuffles in the Shrewsbury stand. Did you know that that in Shopshirese, the words 'can you do me a black coffee please?' actually mean 'please can I have a cup of slurry with loads of milk in it?'.
We started the second half brightly, but a defensive mistake from Batt gifted a chance to Shrewsbury who gleefully accepted the chance, despite a decent effort at a save from Clarke. Craddock was crudely challenged in the Shrews area, not a penalty but he had to go off and was replaced by Alfie who immediately looked lively. But generally we were now looking second best with Shrewsbury coming close a couple of times. The we had our best chance of the match, with Beano putting Batt clear in the area. He had the whole goal to aim at. And missed. That was about it as far as chances for us were concerned. Worley had gone off to be replaced by Mich Hanson, who looks a decent prospect.
But the makeshift central defence was breeched easily by Shrewsbury in the last 20 minutes. They simply passed the ball into the space behind the defence to a man running onto the ball. (Note to Oxford: the ball was played in front of the man so he was running onto it. Not at him, so he he had to stop to collect it. And not behind him, so he had to stop AND had his back to goal. Worth considering?).
Two goals in that period made it 3-0 to the home side which was probably a fair result on the second half performance if a bit generous in the 'goals for' column. The Shrews goalie was a plonker for turning to the Oxford crowd and doing a stupid celebration when the third went in. Prat. As it happens, Wycombe had won anyway, so it made no difference. Serves him right, hope they don't win the playoffs.
Some of the home crowd didn't seem interested in watching the playoffs anyway, making a beeline over the hoardings towards us after the final whistle. One got thumped when he reached the yellows. Others got collared by the stewards and yet more decided to keep fighting each other! Is Shrewsbury some sort of overspill town for Milwall? Hopefully they'll miss not only the playoffs but also a few seasons.
Back on the bus to the car park, talking to some decent Shrews fans including one Liverpool season ticket holder who was a regular at Shrewsbury in preference to actually going to Anfield. Pretty bizzare!
A decent start to the journey home, although the battery warning light looked a bit ominous. Got close to home and broke down. Crap end to a fairly poor day. Ferried home by the AA, new battery and alternator looks like. Bugger.
I'll try to sum up my thoughts on the season in another post, although if the runours are right, any ideas on what players we need to sell/drop/buy might be pre-empted by events before I do so.
Saturday, 9 April 2011
Chair-ity Begins At Home vs Wycombe (L2)
As some of you may have noticed, there was no match report for the Bury game. I didn't go. I went off for a weekend at the seaside instead. To be honest I am fed up of driving up and down the M6. Turns out to have been a good decision, but as always I feel a bit of guilt that I didn't go. On the other hand, the 50 quid I didn't spend on petrol will go a long way towards paying for next year's season ticket! If previous results had all but confirmed to me that we aren't playoffs-bound this year, then the Bury game seems to have convinced the manager of the same fact.
So what is there left to play for this season? Well, we are playing many of the top teams, so beating them would REALLY annoy them - which appeals! The players must be playing for a place in next year's squad.
Wycombe were the latest high-flying team to come and try their luck. They were lying second at the start of play and would be a stern test. We'd been the better team in the goalless affair earlier in the season, but had managed to hit the woodwork more than once.
The weather was lovely and warm, and I passed a car full of fellow yellows in Northampton who were also presumably on their way to the match. Hello, whoever you are! For some reason, it always gives me a lift seeing other people on their way to a game, especially when still a long way away from the stadium. I guess it helps to confirm that there are other people as daft as me!
The 'M40 Derby' (as it had been billed) promised a bumper crowd, so I set off good and early, getting to the Kassam in time to get a spot in the East Stand car park. Which was good, as I needed to make a timely getaway after the game to pick up my back-from-Uni-for-yet-another-holiday daughter from Didcot Station afterwards. Sitting in the car park before the match eating my interesting cheese roll (interesting because I'd managed to put chilli sauce rather than tomato sauce in it!) the news was that Paul McLaren was recovered from his cut leg and replaced Josh Payne and Alfie Potter was starting (for the first time since Methusalah were a lad) in place of Tom Craddock. The rest were as at Bury. The Wycombe team contained Stuart Beavon (whose Dad played for us of course and who has been linked with the Us numerous times), Nikki Bull (the goalie who kept us out previously) and Scott Rendell, who is always a bloody nuisance!
Wycombe had brough an exellent and fairly noisy away support but not as many or as noisy as we took to their place. It made for a decent atmosphere. There was a bit as shennanigans in the North Stand as half a dozen spotty Wycombe youths tried to get to the Us supporters in the other half of the stand. The stewards restrained them without much difficulty - much to the relief of the half a dozen, who were really just posturing and whould have pooed themselves if there had actually been any nawtyness!
As happens more often than not, we started on the back foot. Wycombe were moving the ball about nicely and there was very little tackling from the men in yellow and blue stripes. However, the Chairboys (they're really The Blues - Chairboys is a recent invention, named after a fanzine. By that yardstick, we should be called the Ragings!) failed to make any kind of significant chance and Oxford came into the match.
We than created several chances, all of which we failed to take. Beano had a free header after about a quarter of an hour that he should have at least got on target. Heslop had a chance to shoot from the left of the goal, but again failed to make the keeper work by blazing over (keep your head over the ball, boy!) and MacLean forced a decent save from the Wycombe keeper. At the other end, a free kick whizzed into the East Stand.
We than tried to create the comedy own goal of the season, which Clarke kicking a clearance into Jake Wright's arse. The ball luckily rebounded sideways rather than into the goal, but it would have been funny!
After about half an hour, there was a shout for a penalty in the Wycombe box as Beano was tackled clumsily. Now I made a bit of a fool of myself (surely not!) a few matches ago by berating a ref for a penalty decision, which it later turned out he got spot on. So I'll reserve judgement. But it looked like a stone wall penalty to me, and it wasn't the last strange decision the ref made as the match went on.
Stuart Beavon went down and Wycombe took a water break while he was treated, being serendaded with 'Are you Steveneage in disguise?' for their trouble. To be fair, both teams had a drink and a bit of a team talk, and the injury wasn't a fake. But when the match restarted, the Us took the lead. Heslop played a lovely ball through the Wycombe defence for the lively Potter, who took his chance, smashing the ball into the Wycombe net by the far post. Excellent, and on the balance of play and chances well deserved.
Before the restart, Beavon went down again (so it was a real injury) and was replaced by ex-Crawley Pitman. The role he would go on to play in the match would be anything but miner though. Pitman, miner. Get it? Oh, suit yourselves. Burge had the next chance, the ball being pushed away at pull stretch by the Blues goalie and Burge not able to get to the ball before it was cleared.
Wycombe had a couple of chances to draw level before the break. Pitman shovelled the ball onto the bar with a lob, and Ryan Clarke made a couple of excellent close range saves from Betsy within a couple of seconds to keep the lead intact. The ref blew for half time and the teams left the pitch to a standing ovation. We had been second best for the first 10-25 minutes, but very much in the ascendency for the rest of the half.
Half time. There was a crossbar challenge. ZZzzzzz
The second half started with the vistors again quicker out of the blocks. Worley gave away a ridiculous free kick on the edge of our penalty area. A long ball from the back was clearly (even from the other end of the ground) not going to roll over our goal line. Worley tried to do that silly almost-obstruction thing and shepherd the ball out. It didn't go, he lost the ball and then brought the man down. All could have been avoided if he'd just booted it into the stands. As it was, he got a yellow card and gave away a dangerous free kick that fortunately came to nothing. More thought about what you are doing please Mr Worley. That goes for some others as well. Passing to a man who is surrounded by three opponents is not a good idea, passing it back to the goalie without looking to see where the opposition centre forward is, is just daft.
However, Potter was still doing a lot of good work up the other end and a fine run and low cross across the six yard box lead to a Wycombe defender prodding the ball into his own net. 2 up! It was almost three a minute or two later when Potter had another chance, this time hitting it straight at the grateful goalie.
And then. And then. And then, for some bizarre reason we decided that attacking was a bad idea. We'd been doing it successfully for long periods of the match, pushing Wycombe back. Why on earth didn't we keep doing it? There was room at the back of the Blues defence - they'd just put an extra striker on and left only three at the back. We'd been giving four of them a horrible time, surely we'd take advantage. My neighbour in the stand looked at his watch and remarked that it was a long time until ten to five. How right he was!
We'd retreated so far back that it was attack (theirs) against defence (ours). And with our complete inability to keep a clean sheet, we all knew what would happen next. It was only a question of how long it would take. Not long was the unfortunate answer.
A Wycombe player ran down the left, the Oxford players backed off and off and off and didn't make any sort of challenge (not for the first or last time), the ball was crossed easily enough - straight onto the head of Rendell. He was completely unmarked (why?) and had about three hours to decide where to put the ball with his head. He put it where Clarke wasn't. 2-1.
We weren't being helped by the ref, who was giving a free kick against us at every possible opportunity, while ignoring blatant fouls the other way. A very poor performance from him.
Let down by our defending AGAIN. And that wasn't it. Rather than learn our lesson we retreated again, and after some poor play by McLaren, the ball fell to Pitman who equalised. The defence was panicking big-time. Balls were being hoofed sideways (Tonkin) up in the air (Worley), straight to Wycombe players (Wright). Batt was as ever halfway up the pitch.
It looked like we were again about to snatch defeat from the jaws of vitory. Any more backs to the wall defending and it was a certainty. But this Oxford team is made of sterner stuff than some previous outfits. The quality may be lacking in certain areas, but they aren't quitters. We very pleasingly then went back on the attack. That stemmed the flow of attacks at the Oxford end (attack really IS the best form of defence), and the ball again started to be spread wide to Potter. Craddock came on for Maclean (sensible) and new boy Ryan Doble for Constable (a bit odd).
It almost paid off. Both Craddock and the lively-looking Doble went close but neither team could now break the deadlock, and the match ended with honours even. Alfie was (deservedly) made man of the match.
A quickish car park exit, through the back roads to Didcot to pick up my daughter and back home.
My pearls of wisdom:
A match that summed the season up really. Great in parts, sloppy in others. Frustrating, but with definite signs of hope for the future.
That really, really, really is it. We will not get into the playoffs.
If Doble is likely to be a season long loan next year, then fine. If he isn't then give Woodley a chance or two.
Not going to Accy - see you all vs Chesterfield.
So what is there left to play for this season? Well, we are playing many of the top teams, so beating them would REALLY annoy them - which appeals! The players must be playing for a place in next year's squad.
Wycombe were the latest high-flying team to come and try their luck. They were lying second at the start of play and would be a stern test. We'd been the better team in the goalless affair earlier in the season, but had managed to hit the woodwork more than once.
The weather was lovely and warm, and I passed a car full of fellow yellows in Northampton who were also presumably on their way to the match. Hello, whoever you are! For some reason, it always gives me a lift seeing other people on their way to a game, especially when still a long way away from the stadium. I guess it helps to confirm that there are other people as daft as me!
The 'M40 Derby' (as it had been billed) promised a bumper crowd, so I set off good and early, getting to the Kassam in time to get a spot in the East Stand car park. Which was good, as I needed to make a timely getaway after the game to pick up my back-from-Uni-for-yet-another-holiday daughter from Didcot Station afterwards. Sitting in the car park before the match eating my interesting cheese roll (interesting because I'd managed to put chilli sauce rather than tomato sauce in it!) the news was that Paul McLaren was recovered from his cut leg and replaced Josh Payne and Alfie Potter was starting (for the first time since Methusalah were a lad) in place of Tom Craddock. The rest were as at Bury. The Wycombe team contained Stuart Beavon (whose Dad played for us of course and who has been linked with the Us numerous times), Nikki Bull (the goalie who kept us out previously) and Scott Rendell, who is always a bloody nuisance!
Wycombe had brough an exellent and fairly noisy away support but not as many or as noisy as we took to their place. It made for a decent atmosphere. There was a bit as shennanigans in the North Stand as half a dozen spotty Wycombe youths tried to get to the Us supporters in the other half of the stand. The stewards restrained them without much difficulty - much to the relief of the half a dozen, who were really just posturing and whould have pooed themselves if there had actually been any nawtyness!
As happens more often than not, we started on the back foot. Wycombe were moving the ball about nicely and there was very little tackling from the men in yellow and blue stripes. However, the Chairboys (they're really The Blues - Chairboys is a recent invention, named after a fanzine. By that yardstick, we should be called the Ragings!) failed to make any kind of significant chance and Oxford came into the match.
We than created several chances, all of which we failed to take. Beano had a free header after about a quarter of an hour that he should have at least got on target. Heslop had a chance to shoot from the left of the goal, but again failed to make the keeper work by blazing over (keep your head over the ball, boy!) and MacLean forced a decent save from the Wycombe keeper. At the other end, a free kick whizzed into the East Stand.
We than tried to create the comedy own goal of the season, which Clarke kicking a clearance into Jake Wright's arse. The ball luckily rebounded sideways rather than into the goal, but it would have been funny!
After about half an hour, there was a shout for a penalty in the Wycombe box as Beano was tackled clumsily. Now I made a bit of a fool of myself (surely not!) a few matches ago by berating a ref for a penalty decision, which it later turned out he got spot on. So I'll reserve judgement. But it looked like a stone wall penalty to me, and it wasn't the last strange decision the ref made as the match went on.
Stuart Beavon went down and Wycombe took a water break while he was treated, being serendaded with 'Are you Steveneage in disguise?' for their trouble. To be fair, both teams had a drink and a bit of a team talk, and the injury wasn't a fake. But when the match restarted, the Us took the lead. Heslop played a lovely ball through the Wycombe defence for the lively Potter, who took his chance, smashing the ball into the Wycombe net by the far post. Excellent, and on the balance of play and chances well deserved.
Before the restart, Beavon went down again (so it was a real injury) and was replaced by ex-Crawley Pitman. The role he would go on to play in the match would be anything but miner though. Pitman, miner. Get it? Oh, suit yourselves. Burge had the next chance, the ball being pushed away at pull stretch by the Blues goalie and Burge not able to get to the ball before it was cleared.
Wycombe had a couple of chances to draw level before the break. Pitman shovelled the ball onto the bar with a lob, and Ryan Clarke made a couple of excellent close range saves from Betsy within a couple of seconds to keep the lead intact. The ref blew for half time and the teams left the pitch to a standing ovation. We had been second best for the first 10-25 minutes, but very much in the ascendency for the rest of the half.
Half time. There was a crossbar challenge. ZZzzzzz
The second half started with the vistors again quicker out of the blocks. Worley gave away a ridiculous free kick on the edge of our penalty area. A long ball from the back was clearly (even from the other end of the ground) not going to roll over our goal line. Worley tried to do that silly almost-obstruction thing and shepherd the ball out. It didn't go, he lost the ball and then brought the man down. All could have been avoided if he'd just booted it into the stands. As it was, he got a yellow card and gave away a dangerous free kick that fortunately came to nothing. More thought about what you are doing please Mr Worley. That goes for some others as well. Passing to a man who is surrounded by three opponents is not a good idea, passing it back to the goalie without looking to see where the opposition centre forward is, is just daft.
However, Potter was still doing a lot of good work up the other end and a fine run and low cross across the six yard box lead to a Wycombe defender prodding the ball into his own net. 2 up! It was almost three a minute or two later when Potter had another chance, this time hitting it straight at the grateful goalie.
And then. And then. And then, for some bizarre reason we decided that attacking was a bad idea. We'd been doing it successfully for long periods of the match, pushing Wycombe back. Why on earth didn't we keep doing it? There was room at the back of the Blues defence - they'd just put an extra striker on and left only three at the back. We'd been giving four of them a horrible time, surely we'd take advantage. My neighbour in the stand looked at his watch and remarked that it was a long time until ten to five. How right he was!
We'd retreated so far back that it was attack (theirs) against defence (ours). And with our complete inability to keep a clean sheet, we all knew what would happen next. It was only a question of how long it would take. Not long was the unfortunate answer.
A Wycombe player ran down the left, the Oxford players backed off and off and off and didn't make any sort of challenge (not for the first or last time), the ball was crossed easily enough - straight onto the head of Rendell. He was completely unmarked (why?) and had about three hours to decide where to put the ball with his head. He put it where Clarke wasn't. 2-1.
We weren't being helped by the ref, who was giving a free kick against us at every possible opportunity, while ignoring blatant fouls the other way. A very poor performance from him.
Let down by our defending AGAIN. And that wasn't it. Rather than learn our lesson we retreated again, and after some poor play by McLaren, the ball fell to Pitman who equalised. The defence was panicking big-time. Balls were being hoofed sideways (Tonkin) up in the air (Worley), straight to Wycombe players (Wright). Batt was as ever halfway up the pitch.
It looked like we were again about to snatch defeat from the jaws of vitory. Any more backs to the wall defending and it was a certainty. But this Oxford team is made of sterner stuff than some previous outfits. The quality may be lacking in certain areas, but they aren't quitters. We very pleasingly then went back on the attack. That stemmed the flow of attacks at the Oxford end (attack really IS the best form of defence), and the ball again started to be spread wide to Potter. Craddock came on for Maclean (sensible) and new boy Ryan Doble for Constable (a bit odd).
It almost paid off. Both Craddock and the lively-looking Doble went close but neither team could now break the deadlock, and the match ended with honours even. Alfie was (deservedly) made man of the match.
A quickish car park exit, through the back roads to Didcot to pick up my daughter and back home.
My pearls of wisdom:
A match that summed the season up really. Great in parts, sloppy in others. Frustrating, but with definite signs of hope for the future.
That really, really, really is it. We will not get into the playoffs.
If Doble is likely to be a season long loan next year, then fine. If he isn't then give Woodley a chance or two.
Not going to Accy - see you all vs Chesterfield.
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