Category Archives: O

The Rustle of the P45

07 Thursday Mar 2013

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Tuesday 5th March 2013 ko 19.45

League 2

OXFORD UNITED 0

ROTHERHAM UNITED 4 (Noble 30 Arnason 33 Mullins 41 Pringle 44)

Att 5,169 (237 away)

Entry S/T

Programme £3 (reissue from postponed game with insert) including Oxford Mail

I’m no enthusiast of computer games, but after leaving this game I imagined the “Team Selection” screen on a Football Manager game. Let’s put this in context, you’ve just beaten the 2 top sides in your division, one away from home, by switching to a one-up-front formation. You would have thought that with form like that the only change would be the change from the hideously out-of-form Adam Chapman, to the more combative Andy Whing in midfield, but keep doing what had worked previously.

Instead the baby was thrown out with the bath water, as there was a complete change in formation to a 3-4-3 with an obviously out-of-condition Michael Duberry as the focal point of 3 centre halves. In midfield Whing was supplemented by Sean Rigg and to the surprise of most Simon Heslop. Up front Deane Smalley lead the line, with Alfie Potter just behind, supplemented by wing-backs Liam Davis and Damian Batt.

Its looked odd, but for 30 minutes, and if Rigg hadn’t wasted a glorious chance blasting over in the 24th minute, who knows what may have happened. Instead The Millers scored when David Noble wasn’t picked up in midfield, but his 25 yard shot took a deflection off of Michael Raynes, wrong footing the keeper completely. It was a fortuitous goal, the next 14 minutes were anything but.

Oxford’s weakness at set-plays continues as Kari Arnason nodded home a corner unchallenged. The response was to push Michael Raynes into midfield and convert the wing-backs to full-backs. It looked half-baked, and it meant what little width there had been was sacrificed. More importantly it didn’t solve the immediate problem, ponderous, ill-advised defending. Former OUFC loanee Johnny Mullins was allowed an enternity before rifling home, and Ben Pringle must have wondered where the defenders had disappeared to, he was given so much time before tapping in for the fourth. The side were booed off at half-time, but after the break there was a remarkable transformation, even if it didn’t happen on the pitch.

Josh Parker and Scott Davies replaced the Heslop and Duberry as Oxford actually used players suitable for the formation, but the damaged was done, and Rotherham were happy to play champage football knowing they’d won the tie. Lee Frecklington missed a gilt-edge chance, but Oxford didn’t look like scoring, hardly surprising when the likes of Tom Craddock and James Constable remained on the bench.

During all this the Oxford Mail Stand kept behind the team. The Great Escape Theme, was sung throughout, a conga was started, and there can be no criticism of their contribution. It was obvious what was going to happen and once the final whistle was over and done with, the boos, and “Wilder Out,” chants started. You could hardly blame them, but there was a song earlier that summed up the night far more accurately. “All we want is a team of Andy Whings,” was a massive filip to a player that never gives up, and a wake-up all to the majority of the others, who need to raise their efforts massively if they wish to continue playing League football next season.

As I write Adam Chapman has become the first departure, making his debut for Mansfield Town at Woking last night, on loan for the rest of the season with a view to a permanent move. Perhaps the others might heed his example.

The Spark

05 Tuesday Mar 2013

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Sunday 3rd March 2013

South West Women’s Combination League Cup Quarter-Final

OXFORD UNITED 2 (Allison 28 80)

SWINDON TOWN 4 (Collings 9 64 Shell 78 Picton 82)

Att 57 (h/c) at Abingdon United FC

Entry FREE

Northcourt Road and I go back a long way. I was there in November 1994 when Abingdon United unveiled their floodlights with a game against Oxford United. They were expecting the youth team, but since the first XI had embarrassingly lost at Marlow in the FA Cup so as punishment the first team played the first half and the reserves the second. The second half was notable for keeper Mark Deegan chatting to the substitutes warming up, only to look up horrified as he was lobbed from 40 yards!
I also remember visiting in August 2003 when as part of the Hellenic League’s 50th anniversary celebrations, Oxford United sent a mixture of youth and trialists who were obviously bored, and unprofessional. They were soundly beaten by an unimpressed Hellenic League select XI and all of the trialists were shown the door the next day. I have never been so embarrassed to be an Oxford United fan as I was that day.

Since then Northcourt Road has been a regular destination for North Berkshire League Cup finals, mostly it seems involving Continue reading →

The Stretch

05 Tuesday Mar 2013

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Saturday 2nd March 2013 ko 15.00

League 2

OXFORD UNITED 2 (Potter 10 Smalley 76)

PORT VALE 1 (Loft 16)

Att 6,322 (865 away)

Entry S/T

Programme £3 (inc Oxford Mail)

This was the game that proved, if such a thing were needed, that I clearly know nothing about football! As ever I drove to the ground, buoyed somewhat by the unlikely away win at top-of-the-table Gillingham. That had come about due to a change in tactics, from a pretty but often ineffectual passing game, to a horrible niggly, but direct style. That saw a recall for Deane Smalley as a one man attack. He doesn’t score enough goals, but if you don’t concede you only need one yourself! Chris Wilder has set his stall out on the passing game, so I expected a home game to produce a return to the usual style, and as ever I was wrong. Similar line-up, same tactics, but here’s the thing; not only did it work, and well, Oxford actually played good positive attractive football, and beat the side second in the table! 6 points from games against the top 2 on League 2 is as welcome as it’s surprising.

The goals came from 2 players who frankly loked like they couldn’t buy a goal. Alfie Potter’s been passing to avoid shooting, his confidence shot, so his lofted finish following former OUFC defender Darren Purse’s suicidal backpass, was as welcome as was Smalley’s goal later on. That was a touch an shot from 6 yards following a sublime layoff from Andy Whing. His introduction was the one controversial moment of the game. Yes, Adam Chapman had a dreadful first half and needed replacing at half time. To withdraw him during first half stoppage time served little purpose other than to destroy his confidence. That commodity still looks fragile despite the two excellent results. The other notably point was allowing Sean Rigg to take the penalty. Yes, a former Vale player would love to score against his old club, but that is also a club that knows him well. Clearly with regular penalty man Peter Leven out for the time being a stand-in needs to be found.

Tuesday sees Rotherham as the visitors, another good side. It also means the antics of manager Steve Evans will be much to the fore. Still, he does give me plenty to write about!

 

 

Show Them How

24 Sunday Feb 2013

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Sunday 23rd February 2013 ko 13.00

Women’s FA Cup 4th Round

OXFORD UNITED 2 (Stanley 8 Caswell 14)

NEWCASTLE UNITED 1 (Havelock 51)

Att 733

@Kassam Stadium (Oxford United FC)

Entry £5

Programme £2

So for me it was two games at the same ground, over two days in the freezing cold. There was just part of the lower tier of the South Stand open for this game, but this was game not to be missed, as it was the first time Oxford United Ladies had played in the main stadium, and this has been a season as successful as their male equivalents has been disappointing.

Like the men, the women play in the fourth tier of their league, the South-West Women’s Combination, having been promoted last season. They’re top, and to get to the 4th round of the WFA Cup, their most successful run yet, they had to beat Premier League National Division Charlton Athletic (the 2nd tier) away which they did, 2-1 a frankly outstanding achievement. Their reward was a home tie, at the main stadium, against a side 8th in the 3rd tier Premier League North Division.

It was obvious from the outset that the big stadium wasn’t going to worry Oxford in the slightest. Over the last couple of seasons a winning mentality has been built up, and at no point did they look from a division lower. Centre half and captain Sahara Osborne-Ricketts led by example. She’s played for Arsenal and Watford, and a mixture of experience, skill, and often sheer bloody-mindness was far too much for the Geordie forward line to cope with. They barely got a sniff, and she played the last hour clearly injured following a nasty challenge from Lizzy Frazer. Frazer was booked but nothing was going to stop Osborne-Ricketts.

At right back flame-haired Isi Meade has lost possession twice in the 180 minutes I’ve seen her play, and that allows 32 goals in 19 games Lauren Allison to prosper. She’s quick, actually make that very quick, but today it was strike partner Karen Stanley who benefited, a sublime lob setting Oxford on their way. That lead was doubled by Natasha Caswell’s strike, yes the keeper dived all around it, but if you don’t shoot……are you reading this Oxford United men? It was just reward for Caswell, look at all good things that come from OULFC, most originate from Caswell’s right foot.

The beginning of the 2nd half was the visitors’ purple patch. A free kick was swung in from the right, and when it wasn’t properly cleared Jess Havelock pocked home at close range, to give Newcastle a life-line they barely deserved. It proved to be a false dawn as Osborne-Ricketts marshalled the defence superbly, and as the clock wound down it was Oxford on the attack. Allison had a shot well saved before substitute Dani Anderson saw her shot cleared off the line. In the final attack Holly Pickett’s shot hit the crossbar, but soon, after the final whistle signalled joyous celebrations.

And yes, even this cynical watcher grinned. For this is a side you can believe in, yes they have frailities, all teams do but there’s something infectious in that. Oh, and finally no-one complained about the pitch. Odd that!

All Things Being Equal

24 Sunday Feb 2013

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Saturday 23rd February 2012 ko 15.00

League 2

OXFORD UNITED 0

YORK CITY 0

Att 5,808 (319 away)

Entry S/T

Programme £3 (inc Oxford Mail)

I’ve been in colder grounds, and I’ve seen worse games of football, but this encounter was definately the worst combination of the two I’ve seen in many a long year. The club designated the game as “Military Day” so real heroes were much to the fore, with Chelsea Pensioners, and the Royal British Legion providing a guard of honour for the two teams. It really should have been the other way round.

It was plain embarrassing to watch the officials rope in substitute keeper Max Crocombe to first measure one goal, then once it had been proven it wasn’t level to help the groundstaff to level to offending frame. Having Rugby at the ground does mean the goals do get removed regularly, but to not check something as basic as this is indefensible.

It came as no surprise that Chris Wilder selected an unchanged team from the eleven that provided a welcome, away win at Plymouth. It’s fair to say that whilst the United’s defence had precious little to do, the attack, save for Josh Parker looked as unlikely as ever to trouble the scoresheet. Passes were miss-placed, shots disappeared into the ether, and there was a distinct lack of ideas of how to change things to beat a frankly poor York side, that were more than happy with a point.

Alfie Potter replaced the anonymous Tom Craddock, and Deane Smalley was brought on to play out of place on the wing to replace a specialist in that position, Sean Rigg. Oxford puffed, York prevaricated, and the crowd shivvered, frustrated in the cold. Chris Wilder glumly looked on, hands in pockets, shoulders hunched against the cold and the brickbats.

It really was a nothing game in a nothing season. They’ll be no playoffs, or looking the other way, relegation. Just a series of underwhelming games to see out the season, before there’ll undoubtedly be a mass cull of the personnel. The only question is who, and does it involve the non-playing staff too? Given the lack of information eminating from the club, your guess is as good as mine.

Out Through The In Door

13 Wednesday Feb 2013

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Tuesday 12th February 2013 ko 19.45

League 2

OXFORD UNITED 1 (Davis 89)

FLEETWOOD TOWN 2 (Crowther 28 Brown 55)

Att 5,003 (76 away)

Entry S/T

Programme £3 (reissue from postponed game with insert that cost £1 if sold separately)

A few years ago I watched a man get fired. It wasn’t the brief, loud, slanging match, with the loser being shown the door, that you see in tv dramas, it was a slow painful process. The man concerned was gradually demoralised, and when he realised that there wasn’t a suitable job for him to resign and slip into, he grimly held on, until one Monday he wasn’t there. The whispers amongst the staff over the next few days confirmed the awful truth.

Since then I’ve learned the signals, the isolation of the dismissee, with the head bowed, the body language, and the repetition of the mistakes that got him into that position in the first place. I saw many of those signs in Oxford United manager Chris Wilder last night. A man lost in his own thoughts, alone yet surrounded by his management team and just over 5,000 supporters.

The groundstaff managed to produce a new line in appalling pitches, this one had trenches made by tractor tyres pulling the spikes to aerate the grass/mud. With Justin Richards out for the season (was he given a medical?), Deane Smalley accompanied James Constable up front, without there ever being a jot of understanding between the two. United had enough possession, but on the odd occasion it produced a chance it was wasted. Alfie Potter’s choice to pass when it looked simpler to shoot, spoke volumes for both his, and the team’s lack of confidence.

You knew it was going to end in tears. Fleetwood moved the ball neatly, but hardly devastatingly from right to left, and there was Matt Crowther in a Damian Batt shaped hole to slot past the Oxford United keeper. On the subject of the keeper, Max Crocombe spent the end of the first half warming up, and the player brought in his place played the second half with his left thigh heavily strapped up. If that’s his hamstring, then I suspect Crocombe will get the nod on Saturday.

With few options on the bench and still fewer ideas on the pitch, the second half carried on in much the same vein as the first. Even Fleetwood’s second goal bore similarities to the first, a high ball was nodded back across the 6 yard box, and the defence stood a watched at Junior Brown stooped to nod home.

James Constable hit the post then watched as Sean Rigg blazed the rebound into the stand, and Damian Batt watched his strike well saved by Scott Davies. Eventually United did score, Liam Davis’ fine 25 yard pile-driver, which was out of character from the dross that had preceded it. And here’s the rub, Fleetwood were no more talented than Oxford. Better organised, fitter, and definitely more aggressive, all traits that United should be showing. Either they want to make the playoffs, or there’s a relegation battle looming. There are no half measures in League 2 this season.

I left pondering how long you can leave someone in a position this hopeless, when it would clearly be kinder to take the burden away. With as many as 14 players’ contracts up in July it’s now the time to look at what should be retained, and what should go. Its become clear, sadly the man to do that isn’t Chris Wilder.

 

The Commitments

11 Monday Feb 2013

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Sunday 10th February 2013 ko 14.00

South-West Women’s Combination

OXFORD UNITED 2 (Beaver 26secs Caswell 53)

NEWQUAY 1 (Taylor 23)

Att 10 (h/c)

Entry FREE

Programme None

Normally speaking Oxford United’s women’s team play their fixtures at the former Rover Cowley Ground, on Romanway, but with the pitch waterlogged the tie was switched to to Oxford City’s new 3G pitch at Court Place Farm.

The Community Arena incorporates a pavilion and 6 netball courts together with the full-sized, caged 3G pitch. It opened in January 2012 at a cost of £2.1 million, but there are two flaws if you’re a spectator, there is no cover, and you have to watch from the outside of the cage. The latter isn’t too bad, I’m old enough to remember fences at football grounds, but it’s difficult to track the ball from left to right as the fence gets more dense. That I won’t remember, what I will, was the freezing cold, and the driving rain that slowly turned into sleet.

Oxford are top of the division, 4 points ahead of Keynsham Town, who have 2 games in hand. That is because Oxford have had a run in the Women’s FA Cup, in fact they play Premier League Newcastle United at Grenoble Road on Sunday 24th, their first appearance at the main stadium. With the Cornish Peppermints down in eighth place I expected a straightforward home win, even if, sensibly the visitors had stayed in Oxford the night before. That would be in marked contrast to their male counterparts!

It started so well,  Lauren Allison outpacing her marker; her shot was saved but Catherine Beaver was sharp enough to bury the rebound. I waited for the goals to come with a metronomic efficiency but despite Oxford having the vast majority of the possession, the goals didn’t come. Chances were spurned, and the inevitable happened. A Newquay free-kick was tipped on to the bar by keeper Hannah Cox, a follow-up shot hit the post, but Victoria Taylor was on hand to bundle home the equaliser.

The second half followed a similar patten, albeit with Natasha Caswell coming more to the fore, pushing the side forward from the centre. Eventually the pressure paid off, a clumsy challenge allowing Caswell to convert from the penalty spot. It’s a win that maintains United’s lead, and you can see how they’ve progressed so well in the cup, they maintain pressure on the opposition so well. Whether that run can be continued will be fascinating to watch.

Desolation Row

11 Monday Feb 2013

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Saturday 9th February 2013 ko 15.00

League 2

OXFORD UNITED 0

BRISTOL ROVERS 2 (Brown 56p Richards 90)

Att 7,608 (1,932 away)

Entry S/T

Programme (including Oxford Mail) £3

Today a friend of mine sent me a text message. He’s just bought a book, ” Oxford United Who’s Who,” and remarked just how many poor players the club have employed over recent years. I’m not convinced how many of the current crop will be remembered with any fondness. Before kick-off I spotted Simon Heslop glumly looking out from the press box. He must have thought, “How could I fail to get into this squad?” Indeed Simon, indeed!

With the news that the creative midfielder Peter Leven is out injured for the long-term, and that a string of players were signed without undertaking medicals, there was pessimistic feel about the ground. It proved to be well founded as not only did Oxford look unlikely to score, but in an attempt to counteract the dreadful pitch, the tactic was to thump the ball in the direction of Justin Richards, but James Constable doesn’t deal in knock-downs, and with a 4-3-3 formation looking narrow the first half was non-event.

Oxford’s one player who looks worth a transfer fee is Jake Wright, yet it was his sliding challenge on Ryan Brunt that irrevokably swung the tie in the Gas’s favour. It looked a clean challenge from my seat, but few complained, as the retaken spot-kick easily beat the Oxford United keeper.

So with the clock running down, how do you change things? Put the out-of-favour striker Deane Smalley on? Or put the out of favour centre-half Harry Worley on?  When Worley joined the forward line, it didn’t take a psychic to imagine what Smalley was thinking. I wonder whether another loan out can be found for him, his stay at Oxford United clearly hasn’t worked out.

The tremendous away followimg masked another poor attendance, and that figleaf won’t be there on Tuesday night, when Fleetwood are the visitors. Will there be a short-term replacement for Leven? Will there be a 20 goal a season striker to replace Craddock? Somehow I doubt it.

 

Surrender to the will of the wind

09 Saturday Feb 2013

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Wednesday 6th February 2013 ko 19.30

Oxfordshire Senior Cup Quarter-Final

OXFORD UNITED 1 (Smalley 69p)

CHINNOR 0

Att 151

Entry £5

Programme 50p

When you follow a League club, County Cup competitions tend to pass you by. That’s particularly the case in Oxfordshire, where there’s only one League Club, and some of the larger Non-League clubs are in the Berks and Bucks FA, as in this part of the world, football still follows pre-1974 county boundaries. Theoretically the ties still take precedence over league fixtures but the larger clubs have long since negotiated to play reserve teams, and away from any fixture clash. Continue reading →

3.59.4

03 Sunday Feb 2013

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Friday 1st February 2012 ko 19.00

BUCS League Midlands Division 2A/ Varsity Challenge

OXFORD UNIVERSITY 5 (Grimer 3 Jamison 14 Beck-Friis 26 Austin 31 Healy 86)

OXFORD BROOKES UNIVERSITY 2 (Mirro 45 Dancer 69p)

Att 600

At Iffley Road Stadium

Entry £5

No Programme

Last year I ended up viewing this game from a grass bank from grass bank at the far side, due to a all-ticket strict policy.

https://laurencereade.wordpress.com/2012/02/19/cat-mouse-and-roger/

From my rather distant vantage point, it looked like a cracking atmosphere, so this year I decided to try at watch the game through more conventional means, I do have a couple of contacts within the University after all! Oxford University captain Alex Biggs put a ticket on the gate for me, and so I was able to witness the worried Oxford United stewards at first hand.

The Iffley Road stadium is famous for being where, on 6th May 1954, Sir Roger Bannister ran the first sub-four minute mile, watched amongst many others, by the world’s least sports-orientated person, my mother! Since then the stadium has become something of a victim of the Taylor report, the owners Oxford University opting to reduce the capacity of the stand to 499, to avoid the costs involved with a capacity of the greater figure.

Normally 499 is easily sufficient, but not for a fixture like this. Despite being only being its third year, this match has caught the imaginations of both the University and the former Polytechnic from up the hill in Headington. For this year sections in front of the stand were taped off, allowing an extra 200 to view the game, although students being students, a fair percentage turned up after kick-off!

The stewards encouraged the two sets of fans to occupy different ends of the stands, and the “Segregation” made for a cracking atmosphere, with some of the best banter I’ve encountered at a game. Both sides seemed happy to play on their stereotypes, the “Working Class” Brookes students singing,”Does your butler know you’re here?” and “You pay our benefits,” and the “Toff,” University students singing “You do your essays with a crayon!”

What was never in doubt was the result. When Ed Grimer beat a poorly sprung offside trap to open the scoring, it proved to be the catalyst to some poor Brookes defending as a corner was swung in from the right. The defence simply watched as Mark Jamison thumped the ball home from the back of the box unopposed. It soon got worse for the visitors as a mix-up between keeper Sam Cole and centre half Joe Sturia, allowed Peder Beck-Friis to tap home. When a though ball bisected a square Brookes defence to find Julian Austin who had the simplest of tasks to roll the ball home, a rout looked on the cards, but Hakin Mirro’s superb header from a free kick on the left, gave Brookes heart, just before half time.

In was inevitable that the game would tighten up after the break but at 4-1 the University looked comfortable, but that changed when Brookes were handed a rather soft penalty, for a shirt-pull. Captain Tom Dancer despatched the spot-kick and for 20 minutes, an unlikely comeback looked possible. That ended when Alex Biggs corner was headed home by substitute Adam Healy.

The final bit of “Entertainment” was the appearance of a Brookes streaker, apparently the same one as last year. He was easily able to evade the stewards before making his escape from the far side. The stewards weren’t beaten though, they simply confiscated his clothes, and handed them to the police, who arrested him outside the ground. I would imagine he wouldn’t have been difficult to indentify!

That makes it three wins out of three for the University, and seldom have I enjoyed a game as much as this, both in terms of the action, and the atmosphere created. I just wish it was a little easier to get a ticket!