Back to Oxford - United

I am being sent to the Kassam for Oxford’s game on Saturday – my first visit this year – against another United side from my patch – Hereford.


Oxford have been going great guns (according to my totally unbiased sources in the Kidlington area) as they look to force their way into the play-off places and an automatic promotion spot is still a distinct possibility, but they should beware the Bulls.

On paper Hereford look to be there for the taking, but Jamie Pitman has them playing with spirit and work hard, so any Oxford fan looking at the league table and assuming it’s a banker, should lower their expectations. They have only lost one of their last six games and won two others. Of the eight games they’ve managed to win in the league this season, six have been on their travels.

Oxford have alternated between wins and draws in the last four games and, if the trend continues on Saturday, honours will be even.

We’re now entering the business end of the season where form goes out of the window as everyone still has something to play for.

Pitman’s boys are six points above the drop zone and so can’t afford to roll over just yet, but Oxford are just outside the play-off places on goal difference and must fancy their chances of being in the promotion mix-up in May. A win on Saturday would definitely boost their credentials.

But following last weekend’s emphatic 3-0 win at Morecambe, keeper Ryan Clarke and midfielder Paul McLaren were both picked in the League Two team of the week. Again, my sources have told me that McLaren has added something to the team since his January move from Tranmere and so it will be good to see him in action. For my money Clark is one of the best League Two keepers I have seen this season.

I hadn’t realized until I read it on the Bulls best fans site (http://bullsnews.blogspot.com/), but these two teams have only shared a division once before – back in the 1977/78 season.

Darren Drysdale has been named as the man in the middle for the game.

I’ll try to put together a further preview along with some quotes tomorrow.