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Old 22-08-2018, 07:25   #57
Exile on Spencer St
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Re: Oxford United (A) Match Thread....

Even though he was a local man, I doubt even Inspector Morse could figure out how Oxford got robbed last night.
They out played, out ran, and out muscled (see Phil's half-time report) Stanley, and matched or were better in most departments except one - putting the ball in the net more often than your opponents.

First half Stanley were disjointed and slow to the ball and to react. Finlay was played as a forward and his talents were wasted chasing balls constantly passed back to their keeper. But somehow, after Oxford scored a cracking goal, Stanley went in to the break level. I thought I saw Sykes lanky leg hook the ball into the net but, it was a bit of a goal-mouth melee.

Oxford's second was equally impressive - do the opposition always score whenever Johnson makes a mistake? This time he anticipated a tackle on the half-way line that never came and dived to the floor, looking like an idiot, and they took the ball down his side of the pitch and rammed it into the net.
Professor Coleman made two timely and effective substitutions in the second half. First swapping Brown for Zanzala, but the master stroke was that allowed Finlay to get into the midfield where his influence was increasingly apparent. Not that Brown played that badly but he'd picked up a yellow card and Stanley's midfield was just not creating enough.
Next he subbed Big Ben, who was the latest right-footed defender made to play out of position at left back. Big Ben too hadn't done badly but left back is clearly not his natural position, but Anderton looked like he belonged out there.
And then, of course, one difference between the two teams was our very own Sir William Kee. He was stupendous last night. Winning headers against much bigger defenders, controlling and holding up the ball despite the pushing, shoving, and kicking he endured. Really pleased that it was he who bagged a brace to seal Stanley's surprising, possibly undeserved, but gutsy victory. Well done, lads, a great night out.
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