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Football: Wherever it may be

~ Laurence's football travels

Football: Wherever it may be

Tag Archives: Kassam Stadium

Making Bets On Local Derby Day

08 Thursday Oct 2015

Posted by laurencereade in O

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

Football League Trophy, JPT, Kassam Stadium, League 1, League 2, oxford united., swindon town

Tuesday 6th October 2015 ko 19.45

Football League Trophy Southern Section, 2nd Round

OXFORD UNITED 2 (Roofe 41 54)

swindon town 0 Turnbull sent off (violent conduct) 31

Att 9,013 (1,179 away)

Entry £15

Programme £3

It was 6.30 and there I was stood sheltering under the canopy over turnstile 1 waiting for Alan to open up. I watched the other Oxford fans waiting alongside me, and we all had the same expression on our faces. We were nervous, and despite there being 50 or so stood there it was quiet, I could even hear Joey Beauchamp’s footsteps as he walked over to the Quad Bar hospitality entrance. Being an Oxford United legend affords you that luxury. Continue reading →

51.714628 -1.205518

The Barnett Formula

14 Sunday Dec 2014

Posted by laurencereade in O

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Bury, Football, Grenoble Road, Kassam Stadium, League 2, Oxford, oxford mail, oxford united., Tyrone Barnett

Saturday 13th December 2014 ko 15.00

League 2

OXFORD UNITED 2 (Jones 70og Barnett 90)

BURY 1 (Mayor 63)

Att 6,912 (215 away)

Entry- Season Ticket, my guest FREE

Programme £3 (incl Oxford Mail)

There are several strands to my footballing life, what I travel to watch personally is often different from what I’d organise a groundhop to, and I the only club I watch with any degree of regularity is my home-town team Oxford United. Perhaps the great irony of my existence is that the further the club slid down the footballing pecking order the more creditability I gained in my groundhopping life!

Continue reading →

51.715755 -1.209441

Silk and Steal

25 Saturday Feb 2012

Posted by laurencereade in O

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Football, groundhopping, James Constable, Kassam Stadium, League 2, Macclefield Town, michael duberry, Oli Johnson, oxford united.

Saturday 25th February 2012 ko 3.00

League 2

OXFORD UNITED 1 (Johnson 42)

MACCLESFIELD TOWN 1 (Duberry 9og)

Att 6,189 (63 away)

Entry S/T

Programme (inc Oxford Mail) £3

Today’s match at Grenoble Road was designated “Military Day” and the club made great efforts to pay tribute to the many forms of the armed forces that are based within the county. There was a touching moment when after a few minutes play, the personnel walked aroud the pitch from the main stand, behind the goal and round to the North Stand. The entire ground stood and applauded. A spine-tingling moment.

The game saw the visitors arrive with a loanee keeper they’d picked up en route, and having lost 8 games on the bounce. An easy win you’d think, but this is Oxford United.

United started brightly enough, but found themselves a goal down after 9 minutes. Referee Darren Drysdale made the first in a series of poor decisions in awarding a free kick 30 yards out. Matt Hamshaw’s free kick found Michael Duberry 6 yards out under no pressure, but he somehow managed to power his header past Ryan Clarke for his 3rd own goal of the season. Does this mean he’s now on -1 goals for the campaign?

United continued with the 4-4-2 formation that had brought a won against Barnet, and it was the right flank that provided the equaliser, Oli Johnson turning neatly, and not being challenged, fired home from 18 yards. He’s beginning to look an excellent acquisition.

The second half should have seen United force home the gulf in quality. James Constable missed a good chance when Lee Holmes played him in, but Richard O’Donnell saved his shot, and in the melee Johnson and Scott Rendell had follow-up efforts blocked. Constable’s second opportunity came from a Holmes cross, but he headed high and wide from eight yards out.

After that United grew frustrated and place broke down repeatedly, as play grew narrower with neither full-backs Davis or Batt able or willing to overlap and Leven’s gorgeous passes taking place where he could do no damage, in his own half. Time after time United forced corners, but lacked the guile to do anything with them. Liam Davis’ 25 yard shot was well saved by O’Donnell, and that was United’s last meaningful chance.

The final whistle was met by a chorus of boos, not for current form, only 1 defeat in 12, but for a sense of what could happen when a team bang in form visit next Saturday. That, though is a local derby, and the form book can be ignored.






Barnet Fare

23 Thursday Feb 2012

Posted by laurencereade in O

≈ 2 Comments

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.





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