From an Oxford fan:-
Forget that Stanley are a small club with a small budget who play in front of small crowds; they are a decent team. I have admiration for them. Jason Mooney is the biggest goal-keeper I’ve ever seen. He’s six foot nine but I reckon they had one outfield player who was nearly as tall. That said, they didn’t play an overly physical dirty game and in son of Dean obviously have a goal scorer.
Coming in to this one they were unbeaten in eight league games and had won the last four. Is this a better time to play them than if they were going through a bad run? I’m not sure but I do know that if you are on form yourself it doesn’t really matter either way.
The first half was pretty even and whilst we didn’t deserve to be losing, were perhaps just a tad fortunate to be one up on the balance of play. But we’ve got skilful players who can produce that little bit extra at the drop of a hat and with getting men in the box at the appropriate moments, goals will come.
The first goal came after Joe Skarz and Danny Rose kept the ball between themselves following a throw in before finding John Lundstram. Our ex-Everton man was thinking only positively as he played a through ball for Roofe. It took a bit of a deflection which didn’t do us any harm. Roofe reacted quickly, got away and pulled the ball back for Calum O’Dowda to finish perfectly. There were other yellow shirts around who could probably have done the job too. I’m not saying Mooney should have saved it but I will say he wasn’t nimble. Whereas this went in, Windass’ excellent lob from distance did not. Fine margins.
Twenty five minutes into the second half we’d been pegged back. Overall our shape had been very good but there were times when the opposition had more space in which to operate in the centre of the field than I was comfortable with. A red shirt was able to stride forward with some ease before passing to Matt Crooks. We didn’t close him down quickly. At the moment he got his shot away we’d got four players pretty close but it was too late. It was a very good finish aided by a bit of a flick off an Oxford boot. I attach no blame to our keeper for this one.
A few minutes later we survived our biggest scare of the game. We did not mark well from a corner which allowed a shot to be hammered in from outside the box. Sam Slocombe, who should possibly have done better, parried, only for the ball to ricochet upwards off Sean McConville and seemingly into the net. George Baldock was not having that and got back to head off the line. Windass then headed over SS and on to the bar with McConville looking like he was going to hook it in. Instead he hooked it over but Slocombe had thrown himself back across goal and may well have kept it out if it had been on target. Never say die. It shouldn’t be forgotten that there were scrambles at the other end too, although with a little less intensity.
Five minutes after this incident we’d taken the lead again. It’s not something we’ve been able to say over the years but perhaps we’ve now turned a corner in that we’re keeping the ball from throw-ins and indeed setting up goals from them. Graham received the ball and with supreme control and slippery dribbling skills went this way and that before playing the perfect low ball inviting Liam Sercombe to score. Again we had many men in the box.
That extra bit of dribbling skill and ability to go past players was something we had that they didn’t and that was the difference. That made us better than them and deserved winners.
For the record I’ll admit that I would have gone for a more conservative approach and brought on the defensively reliable Alex MacDonald, not Graham, for the injured Danny Rose. Michael Appleton obviously got it right. His other substitution didn’t look bad either. Ryan Taylor is starting to show a bit in the 10-15 minutes playing time he is now getting.
On 84 minutes the home side made two substitutions which obviously didn’t work as we soon had increased our lead. Again superior dribbling skill did it and there was no one in the ground who thought Roofe had not been fouled.
Liam Sercombe’s name is one that needs to be on the team sheet every week. He brings such a lot to the team. Scoring a penalty is one such thing if you play for Oxford United.
Before I finish this long winded FV I have to mention Accy manager John Coleman and the nonsense he spouted in his post-match interview. Apparently we were allowed to time waste at every opportunity in the first half (Really?). We’re a good side (true) but we’re no better than them. If they had scored that mad scramble they would have gone on to win by three or four. (I think he had some mind altering drugs slipped into his half time cuppa). And he’s confident that they will beat us at the Kassam. (A lot of worse teams than AS have won at our place over the years but what arrogant nonsense).
Did I say earlier that I admire Accrington? Based on the attitude of their manager I’ve changed my mind. He’s just stepped up alongside Evans and Westley and talking of those sort of emotions brings us on to that JPT match on Tuesday.
Also a bit more of the action here. Pen looked a real Premier League job to me, i.e., "He touched me, ref!" Their player should have been booked for diving:-