Am I still watching?

26 Sunday May 2013

Tags

BMW, ladies, Lauren Allison, Oxford Sports and Social Club, oxford united., South West Womens Combination, swindon town, Tash Caswell

Wednesday 22nd May 2013 ko 18.45

South West Women’s Combination

OXFORD UNITED 3 (Allison 4 8 Caswell 76)

SWINDON TOWN 0

Att c100 at Oxford United Training Ground, Roman Way, Oxford

Entry FREE

No Programme

“For Pete’s sake!” I thought as I drove the two or so miles to the former Rover Cowley ground, “How on earth am I still watching Oxford United when it’s nearer to June than April?”

The answers of course were manifest. Apart from a tasty local derby, Oxford United’s women’s team are the success story of the club this season, and this was the last game of the season, and it transpires, the last ever time the ladies side will use the ground. However the best reason for being there was to celebrate the side having won the league.

With the club’s election to the Women’s Super League, ground-grading considerations mean games will played at Abingdon United’s Northcourt Road. That’s a shame for the Roman way ground as its a little gem of the Oxford footballing scene. Its a gem that needs to be visited too, as its future is, at best uncertain.

The entire facility, with its cricket, bowls, social club and multiple football pitches is owned by BMW, whose car plant is behind. The lease is owned by Oxford Sports and Social club but they intend to hand back the facility and cease trading when the lease expires in 2016, citing a falling membership and demographic changes. So far there’s been no indication from BMW as to their plans for the ground.

So from now on in, the only way to see a competitive game here will be to watch Oxford United’s youth team, or hope that the Oxford City FA, (themselves having problems with dwindling interest) use the ground for a cup final. All manner of teams both on Saturday and Sunday use the outside pitches.

But the job is hand was the final game, whoever the opposition. There were two surprises though, the first was the Swindon team not forming a guard of honour as the sides came out. The second was that the league didn’t see fit to present the trophy at the end. The players celebrated with gusto, but looking through my pictures it does seem that there’s something missing- the trophy.

Now as an Oxford United fan you will probably never hear me utter this phrase again, “I felt sorry for Swindon,” but I did. I’ll leave to one side the individually sponsored kit shirts, printed with red letters on a red background, but this was for them an exercise in completing the season. They only named 2 substitutes from a possible 5, and found themselves two down in less than 10 minutes.

That was down to Natasha Caswell’s eye for a through ball and Lauren Allison’s predatory instincts in front of goal. Goals 49 and 50 for the campaign is a exceptional return, and its a pity she’ll now be lost to the club, moving to the USA on a sports scholarship. After that, the game settled down to a pattern of complete Oxford domination, Swindon being reduced to two decent chances, Abby Picton and Niamh Rawlins both seeing shots hit the bar. But with time running down Natasha Caswell was on hand to bundle Dani Anderson’s cross home to give the score a more realistic feel, and then it was time to celebrate.

: Lauren Allison runs clear

: Natasha Caswell scores

: Champs!

: Lauren Allison given the bumps

The Commitments

11 Monday Feb 2013

Posted by laurencereade in O

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Tags

3G, Catherine Beaver, Community Arena, Hannah Cox, ladies, Natasha Caswell, Newquay, Oxford City, oxford united., soccer, South West Womens Combination, Victoria Taylor

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.