But credit to Hereford, they game with a game plan and executed it perfectly to secure three more points and edge themselves closer to League Two safety.
Oxford fans appeared frustrated at the end of the game - and there was certainly a lot of message board chat beforehand about how big the score would be – but sometimes you just have to hold your hands up and give the opposition credit where it is due.
Bull’s keeper Adam Bartlett was gushing in praise of the whole experience after the match describing the hosts as the “best side we have played all season”. Bartlett also praised the set up at the Kassam and also the fans.
“There was a bit of banter going on,” he said. “Especially when I was playing for time towards the end and I knew it was only a matter of time before the referee listened to them and booked me, but they have a good vocal support here.”
That’s one of the oddities of football isn’t it? If the opposition keeper is taking his time over goal kicks to run down the clock he’s a cheating so-an-so. If ‘your’ keeper rushes to take a goal kick when you’re one-nil up with minutes to play, he’s a complete pillock.
Goal scorer Stuart Fleetwood admitted they had come to “do a job and needed to be disciplined” and Oxford boss Chris Wilder was left bemused after watching a “decent performance” from his team.
Wilder also said:
“I’m not going to compromise the way we play and get in two bean pole strikers and throw it forward to them. Sometimes you have to play the long balls, but in general that’s not the way I want us to play.
I can't batter my team in the dressing room. It was a decent performance. From tee to green we've done really well, but as always it's about the two main parts of the pitch - in both boxes. We switched off and they scored, and we didn't take our chances."
Bull’s manager Jamie Pitman was honest enough to admit that “we rode our luck at times”, but they came to do a job against a side that – on paper – were possibly better.
And do a job they did.
This was a classic away performance. Fleetwood and Bartlett both described it as smash and grab, although I think they were being a little modest as they and their team mates were very well organised throughout.
Fleetwood, 24, now has 15 goals to his name this season and admitted:
“I got one goal off each shin pad. I didn’t know too much about the second one as it came through the defender’s legs at speed, but that’s what happens when your confidence is high.
That was my target at the start of the season, but I hadn’t scored after the first twelve or thirteen games and I must admit I didn’t think I’d get to five.
I was even played out on the wing for a few games, but once I got that first goal the confidence returned.”
I also had a chat to Stuart about his temperament as I’ve noticed that – in every game – he becomes a little over-exuberant top put it mildly. But having spoken to him on Saturday I found that he’s one of those typical manic players on e the pitch and mild mannered and very pleasant off it. He does recognise that it’s an area of his game that needs work and admitted:
“I do wear my heart on my sleeve and know I need to channel my emotions in the right way. I guess that’s why I’m on seven bookings, but just like the fans, I love the club and just want to see us do well.”
I suspect that Hereford fans will forgive him his excesses if he keeps on scoring important goals like the brace against Oxford.
One lad who was lucky to get away with a little over-enthusiasm of his own was Joe Colbeck. The winger set up Fleetwood’s 8th minute opener and worked his socks off defensively, but one touch line challenge on Tom Craddock could have ended the Oxford player’s career. It wasn’t so much a two-footed lunge as an assassination attempt. Fortunately Craddock had time to see it coming and managed to avoid any serious injury.
But that incident was the only real unsavoury moment of the game.
Oxford meanwhile must dust themselves down and focus on the next game. This wasn’t a performance that signalled the end of their season and the table is so tight that promotion is still on.
Whether they can make the automatic places is up for debate, but a play-off spot is well within the grasp of this bunch.
Despite Wilder’s public protestations, I suspect that at half time he had a few harsh words to say to some of his players as they were a little too sloppy at times. They didn’t appear to have the cutting edge up front on Saturday either. A bad day at the office for the strikers? Maybe. Oxford fans will know better than me as to whether there are more deep-rooted problems, but from what I have seen of them this season, they do look as if they are more than capable of finding the net in this division.
From a neutral’s point of view, this was more of an intriguing game than an exciting one. Hereford look like a side that will survive in League Two to fight again next season and Oxford fans look like they might be singing in the beer garden of the Green Man in Wembley again in May*.
As promised this morning, my clipping from this morning's copy of The Sun ... not really woorth waiting for was it?
Song artist: Matterhorn Project
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