[choirboy]

Well, it wasn’t the best game to watch. However, apart from a couple of close shaves our defence were holding Oxford out pretty well until the error that allowed them in. Dog Tharme had played really well up to that point but he nearly repeated the error a few minutes later! It was an absolute joy to see “The ROCKET”, (Ethan Hamilton), blast in that equalizer from all of 35 yards. He was lying deep as our last man as we took a corner which came out to him and he tried a speculative volley which he sliced up into the air. Then we managed to put the ball back into their penalty box and it was cleared back to Ethan. This time he took one good touch and hit the ball with such force it ZOOMED past all the other players into the net! It was an absolute cracker……looking forward to seeing it on the highlights! So pleased for Ethan as he is a true grafter. He and Liam Coyle worked very hard in trying to stifle Oxford’s talented midfielders. Ross Longelo had a good game IMHO and we looked more of a threat when Joe Pritchard and Kode Adedoyin came on.
I have to comment though on the inconsistent refereeing as we definitely were on the wrong side of his interpretation of the laws of the game. In the first few minutes the two big Oxford centre backs were putting an arm on the shoulder of Tommy Lee in order to get the upper hand on him. By half time they were both just using Tommy as a ‘Step Ladder’ with both hands used in every aerial challenge! The referee also proved so inconsistent in his interpretation of what deserved a yellow card. Yellow cards for little shirt pulls but not for dangerous tackles from behind or for calculated fouls to break down an opponents flowing move.
In the end it was important that we got a point from the game.
Ultras were brilliant again!
KEEP THE FAITH!
ON STANLEY ON!