Take the Nil

11 Thursday Oct 2012

Tags

Alfie Potter, Chris Whelpdale, chris wilder, David Langan, Gillingham, Jake Forster-Caskey, James Constable, john mullins, League 2, oxford united., Running Through Walls, ryan clarke, Stuart Nelson, Tom Craddock

Saturday 6th October 2012 ko 3pm

League 2

OXFORD UNITED 0

GILLINGHAM 0

Att 6,690 (1,014 away)

Entry S/T

Programme £3 (ic Ox Mail)

Choices, Choices…. So many games I could have chosen, the Bedfordshire hop was busy attracting around 100 people to each of its three games, and there was no lack of other attractive looking games. In the end two things influenced my decision, sheer exhaustion after one of the busiest Septembers ever, and the chance to catch up with schoolfriends Saleem and Carmine after the game. I hadn’t seen them for over 20 years, so it was an easy decision to make.

There was also the hope if not expectation that Oxford United had turned the corner. The 3-2 win over AFC Wimbledon had ended a dreadful run of 6 straight defeats, but the Gills were a different prospect altogether, top of the table, unbeaten away, and with confidence high.

First on the agenda was the presentation of David Langan to the crowd. David was a hero to anyone who grew up watching Oxford during the 1980’s as the club reached the top flight and won the League Cup. His overlapping runs made him a popular fixture at right back, but injuries took their toll, and he still suffers from the aftermath of the operations and injections. His autobiography, “Running through walls,” looks to be an involving read.

But back to the game in hand. With Wayne Brown injured Chris Wilder had little alternative but to restore Ryan Clarke between the sticks, and with Michael Raynes out injured his former teammate John Mullins arrived on loan to 2013 in the morning from Rotherham. It was to be those two players that had the most influence on the game, Clarke pulling off 4 stunning saves, and Mullins looking anything other than an unwanted defender at a fellow League 2 club who hadn’t even trained with the team.

It became clear that the number one priority was to keep midfielder Chris Whelpdale quiet. That they managed, of a fashion although Jake Forster-Caskey did have to clear a glancing header off the line from the former Peterborough man. Stirring stuff, and if the grit will have pleased manager Wilder, the increasing injury list will have not. First Damian Batt limped off then Deane Smalley struggled to make it through to half time. Surprisingly after the break he was replaced by Tom Craddock rather than the more obvious James Constable.

It took until almost the hour mark for United to create their first shot on target, Potter seeing his effort tipped over the bar by Stuart Nelson. Constable eventually was introduced for the last 10 minutes, and very nearly set up the winner, his reverse pass from the right found Craddock whose shot was deflected over the bar. It just shows how the small the margins are between success and failure. I wonder what will happen when Wilder is able to select anything like his first choice eleven? In the meantime, I think just about every Oxford United would have taken the clean sheet before this game kicked off.

: John Mullins

: Jake Forster-Caskey

: David Langan

The Break Point

08 Monday Oct 2012

Posted by laurencereade in Uncategorized

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Tags

AFC Wimbledon, Alfie Potter, Byron Harrison, chris wilder, Deane Smalley, fenlon, Jake Forster-Caskey, Jim Fenlon, League 2, oxford mail, oxford united., ryan clarke, Steve Claridge, steve mcclaren, Wayne Brown, Will Antwi

Tuesday 2nd October 2012 ko 19.45

League 2

OXFORD UNITED 3 (Forster-Caskey 8 Smalley 55 Potter 81)

AFC WIMBLEDON 2 (Harrison 20 Fenlon 36)

Att 5,206 (274 away)

Entry S/T

Programme £3 (inc Oxford Mail)

Of all the statistics above, I suspect the important one may well end up being the attendance. Ok this was dull Tuesday evening, between 2 struggling teams, but 5,200 is low by OUFC standards. Its not difficult to understand why, Oxford United having lost 6 league games on the bounce, and with a quite appalling injury list. Nevertheless manager Chris Wilder found himself under more pressure than any other time during his tenure at the club and for the first time, it told.

You can always tell when the manager’s time is running out, the fight goes out of them. Remember Steve McClaren’s game in charge of England, standing forlornly under an umbrella, impotant as Croatia stopped England qualifying for the 2008 European Championships? When Wimbledon went 2-1 after 36 minutes, I watched Wilder, the head dropped, and I feared the worst for him. The comparison was obvious, and I felt sorry for the man who managed the club back into the Football League where others had failed.

They’d made a good start too, with Jake Forster-Caskey’s excellent free kick opening the scoring, but Wayne Brown, controversially selected in goal ahead of Ryan Clarke should have done better as Yado Mambo rose highest at a corner and although his header hit the crossbar, Byron Harrison was first to the rebound and scored from close range.

With less than 10 minutes left of the half, Jim Fenlon cut inside Alfie Potter, and fired home from 25 yards. He was in yards on space which speaks volumes for the defence and goalkeeper. All the while quietly sat in the press area was Steve Claridge. Wearing no club’s badge, there he sat with his assistant. Maybe he was scouting, maybe he was there for other purposes, who knows?

Whatever the truth, United found their way back into the tie. Deane Smalley stabbed home from close range to equalise before losing Wayne Brown to a groin strain a few minutes later. That gave a platform to Ryan Clarke, who didn’t disappoint, producing a quite wonderful diving dave to deny Will Antwi. By then United had taken the lead, as Tom Craddock’s erudite pass found Alfie Potter and he swept home from 10 yards. It proved to be enough for 3 points on the night, but it may well prove to be a pivotal night for Chris Wilder and his regime.

: Chris Wilder & Mickey Lewis

The Crunch

28 Saturday Apr 2012

Posted by laurencereade in O

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Tags

Adam Chapman, Bilel Mohsini, Cameron Belford, chris wilder, Cristian Montano, Football, heslop, michael duberry, Middlesbrough, Neil Harris, oxford united., Peter Leven, Ryan Hall, Southend United, Tom Craddock

Saturday 28th April 2012 ko 3.00pm

League 2

OXFORD UNITED 0

SOUTHEND UNITED 2 (Hall 19 Mohsni 31)

Att 9,356 (1,106 away)

Entry S/T

Programme £3 (incl Ox Mail)

Right let’s get one thing straight, Southend were by far the better team and deserved their win. One look at the two benches shows you why. For Oxford the youth team keeper, a loanee, and two players returning from injury to complement Adam Chapman. For Southend fire power from Elliot Benyon and almost unbelievably, Freddy Eastwood. It says something that neither were needed.

It was game with plenty resting on it for both teams. For Oxford a chance to return to the playoff zone, and for Southend the chance to keep in the chase for automatic promotion. With goalkeeper Wayne Brown having damaged his knee in training Middlesbrough’s youth keeper Connor Ripley was drafted in late yesterday. Peter Leven’s shoulder was deemed to be the wrong side of acceptable, and Cristian Montano made way for Jon-Paul Pittman. A fit-again Damian Batt allowed Supporters’ player of the year Andy Whing to return to midfield. Adam Chapman was relegated to the bench in favour of a supposedly fit-again Simon Heslop.

Oxford made a bright start with the impressive Dean Morgan seeing his shot blocked by Cameron Belford, only for Asa Hall to blast the rebound over. Southend soon took control over the midfield, and two through balls saw Southend forwards make forward runs only to be stopped crudely by firstly Jake Wright, then Michael Duberry. Both were booked but it was the free kick as a result of the second that took the game towards the visitors. Ryan Hall’s 19th-minute effort had power, but was straight at Ripley, who somehow let the ball pass through his hands and into the net.

At a stroke Oxford’s confidence and fluency evaporated and the struggle got more up-hill in the 31st minute. A looping cross from the left should have been dealt with, but Bilel Mohsni peeled off the back of marker Liam Davis to glance a header perfectly into the bottom right corner.

Ripley was beaten for a third time 6 minutes before the break, when Neil Harris’ chip beat the young debutant, but Duberry raced back to hook the ball off the line. The ever reliable Whing forced a decent save from Belford, but at half time the Shrimpers would good value for their lead.

For the second half Chapman replaced Heslop, but at no point did the hosts regain full fluency. Pittman scuffed a Scott Rendell cross, then saw a better effort blocked by Belford. As Oxford got more desperate Tom Craddock replaced Morgan and then Montano the hard-working Andy Whing, who’d done nothing wrong. Chapman fired a free kick just over the bar, and Montano’s jinking run into the box resulted in him being hacked down. To everyone’s amazement referee Lee Collins saw fit to award only a goal kick.

As the game wound down I listened to the supporters’ comments. Yes, OUFC were very second best, but sat as I was in front of the press box, you could see what the problem was. For sat in the press area were the likes of Ryan Clarke, Peter Leven, Alfie Potter, and James Constable, all injured. That’s where Oxford season has disappeared to, mournfully sitting with the journalists, unavailable. Much has been made of Chris Wilder’s use of the loan market, but if those and others had been available for more of the season, I’m certain we’d be at worst, in the playoff zone.

As it is, Oxford need to win at Port Vale next Saturday, and hope Crewe lose at home to nothing-to-play for Aldershot to sneak an unlikely play-off slot. At the final whistle the people I sit with wished each other a happy summer, in the cold and gloom.

I’ve been hearing some supporters call for Chris Wilder to be sacked. Well, I’d be careful what you wish for. What manager would want to come to a club that’s sacked a manager who’s improved the club’s league position each season of his tenure? And that’s not considering who’s available either, although I’m sure there are a few that think that Pep Guardiola could be convinced by a club flat on Greater Leys. Patience is a virtue, it took 4 years to get out of the Conference, and simply throwing money at it isn’t a long-term solution, just ask the likes of Plymouth…….

: Southend fans

: Wayne Brown injured

: Connor Ripley

Barnet Fare

23 Thursday Feb 2012

Posted by laurencereade in O

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Tags

Barnet, chris wilder, Dean Brill, Football, groundhopping, Izale McLeod, James Constable, Kassam Stadium, lee holmes, Michael Hector, ryan clarke, Stuart Attwell

Tuesday 21st February 2012 ko 7.45pm

League 2

OXFORD UNITED 2 (Rendell 43 Constable 56)

BARNET 1 (Hector 16) McLeod missed pen 84

Att 5,848 (139 away)

Entry S/T

Programme £3 (inc Ox Mail)

If, dear reader you read my last OUFC report, you might be forgiven for thinking this report could have been difficult to write. Same score against a similar club, down at the bottom the league. Nope, dead easy this one, as it was a totally different game.

Maybe it was due to Chris Wilder changing OUFC’s formation, from 4-3-3 to 4-4-2 with Oli Johnson playing right wing. On the other flank Lee Holmes made his full debut. There were 2 other little subplots with the referee being Stuart Attwell, in charge of his first game since being demoted from the elite Select Group Referees Panel. Also the game saw the return of former OUFC winger Sam Deering. Attwell had an excellent game, and Deering was roundly booed each and every time he touched the ball.

In an open game United were unfortunate to go a goal down. A free kick on the right was surprisingly reverse passed to right-back Michael Hector. Although he was given way too much time, the Reading loanee’s 18 yard shot went though a mass of legs and passed an unsighted Ryan Clarke into the bottom left corner.

Johnson’s weak shot was easily saved by Bees keeper Dean Brill, but the hosts were showing real industry (Andy Whing) and invention (Peter Leven) in midfield with Holmes the most usual outlet. James Constable’s stinging shot was blocked away by Brill, and Leven’s free kick hit the right net support post.

United equalised with a goal of real quality. Leven’s diagonal ball found Holmes on the left, and his curling cross was asking for someone to attack it. That someone was Scott Rendell, and his header was his first goal for the club.

Leven’s free kick after 50 minutes again found Rendell’s head but this time Brill did extremely well to turn the ball round his right post. 6 minutes later United took the lead, when Leven’s teasing free kick was mis-hit by Rendell and with the Bees’ defence totally square there was Constbale at the back post to tap in.

Whilst United had far more possession and chances, at 2-1 there was always a way back into the game for Barnet and they had two opportunities to gain something from the game. Once Andy Whing limped off United looked far less assured in midfield. Deering will have sleepless nights over his 6 yard miss, but on 84 minutes Barnet still had the opportunity to steal an undeserved point. Mark Byrne was ajudged to have been trippped by Damian Batt. Attwell thought it was in the box, and to be fair to him I watched the footage several times before deciding it was just outside.

Of course United have a lucky charm when it comes to penalties, and his name is Ryan Clarke. Izale McLeod’s penalty was poor, weak and down the middle, but the save had to be made and made it was, to make Clarke’s OUFC record 14 penalties faced and 11 saved. A statistic any keeper would be proud of.