Some thoughts on Oxford

Before I start, I think it's only fair to offer an apology to James Constable for the emphasis I placed on a couple of chances he spurned last night.

Don't get me wrong, I make no apology for mentioning them and anyone who knows 'Beano' will tell you he has broad shoulders and will be honest enough to admit he should have had at least one goal last night.

As I drove home last night though, I was already regretting putting emphasis on those misses. I also incorrectly identified substitute Tom Naylor as the lad whose shot flew off the Oxford bar towards the end - it was Christian Jolley apparently!

So Beano might be ruing missing an opportunity to add to his tally, but I also seemed to be watching the game with my wife's specs on!

Frankly, it was a dire game though - with little to write about - and referee Darren Sheldrake didn't cover himself in glory by handing out cards as if it was already Christmas.

One of the eight yellow cards was shown to central Harry Worley - released on a free by Oxford in the summer - after a challenge on Ryan Williams.

I'd been chatting to a Nottingham Forest coach before and during the game who looked at me and raised his eyes to the heavens and sarcastically told me it had worth coming just to see that tackle - and then he left. Enough was enough.

The Oxford Mail end were calling for Worley to be sent off, but from where I was sitting (and this time I was directly in line with the incident) it looked as though Worley picked up the booking for being a clumsy oaf rather than for anything nasty. He seemed to catch Williams somewhere around the waist or top of the thigh.

To Williams's credit he didn't play act. He bounced back up on to his feet and this probably saved Worley from an early bath.

I've seen Sheldrake officiate in four games this season and I don't rate him too much. He's handed out 63 yellow and four reds and Oxford boss Chris Wilder was spot on when he said he was probably tired by the end of the game with the amount of puff he had put through his whistle.

But from looking at Wilder's bench last night, his problems are bigger than one poor referee. I identified four "youth prospects", but in fact Scott Davies was the only 'established' pro (Crocombe and Marsh have been around a while even if they too haven't made too many appearances).

Injured defender Jake Wright was very concerned that the squad were down to the bare bones and was pitchside at the end of the game pointing this out to one of the club officials.

Wright seems like a good club man - despite his own injury he took time out to tell me how well he thought his replacement Michael Raynes had been playing, but an injury to Raynes or central defensive partner Johnny Mullins and the club could be in real trouble.

Fortunately the back five (or six if you throw in Wright) are a solid unit at the moment, but with Alfie Potter, Andy Whing and Sean Rigg out for varying amounts of time, the options to supply Constable and Dave Kitson at the other end are limited.

Potter was in a cast and told me that he had his operation ten days ago, but that he would be out for three months. You could see the frustration etched on his face and there's no worse sight at a football club than injured players who really just want to lend their weight to the cause.

I agree with Wright that they need to try and get some faces in to bolster the squad, but I guess it's better to be top of the table with injuries to key players than in or around the drop zone.

With luck the club can keep going despite those injuries and still be in a good position when Wright, Potter and company are ready to return.

Oxford United 0 Newport County 0

James Constable missed a couple of sitters, but injury hit Oxford managed to cling on to top spot.

Oxford boss Chris Wilder has lost five first team players and was forced to name four youth prospects on the bench as the injuries threaten their good start to the campaign.

But Constable still should have had two goals in the first half.

In the sixth minute Constable took advantage when defenders Adedeji Oshilaja and Robbie Willmott collided, but the striker got the ball caught under his feet and could only manage a tame shot at keeper Lenny Pidgeley.

And the Oxford skipper came close in the 32nd minute when he poked David Hunt's free kick from the right flank inches wide of the far post from six yards.

Central defender Michael Raynes also fluffed a chance when he prodded another Hunt free kick narrowly wide.

Midfielder Christian Jolley came close to stealing the points for Newport with five minutes left, but the volleyed strike from the left angle of the box flew off the top of the bar.

County's best chance in the first period came one minute before the break when Willmott sent a 25 yard free kick high over the bar.

County manager Justin Edinburgh was delighted with a point and said:

"It wasn't a vintage effort in terms of possession, but we worked well off the ball. The players deserve a lot of credit. We weathered the early storm and then grew into the game."

Newport have not conceded for eight hours and fifty-one minutes and Edinburgh continued:

"To come to the league leaders and not look like conceding was very good. We just lacked that cutting edge.

"That's a fifth draw and I don't think we've been holding on in any of those games."

Oxford boss Chris Wilder was disappointed not to have taken all three points and said:

"You need to score when the chances appear and we had them. Maybe if we'd scored one of the early ones the game would have opened up. It was a tough night for our front men, we just couldn't get any momentum going."


"It was a stop-start game. The ref must be tired tonight with the amount of puff he put through that whistle. I think the referee has a big part to play in managing a game for the players and the supporters and I didn't think he did that very well."

My piece from the morning paper

Bristol City 0 Sheffield United 1

My piece from the Sunday paper

Tony McMahon sympathised with fall guy Aden Flint following United's first away win of the campaign.

Former Middlesborough right back McMahon whipped in a low 78th minute cross that hapless City central defender Flint sliced into his own net for two yards.

McMahon, 27, also gave credit to manager Nigel Clough and said:

"As a defender you hate those crosses because they are so difficult to deal with so I know how he must be feeling. On the other hand, the boss has been banging on at me to do it more often. Funnily enough, he told me just before the game that I was due to pick someone out. Well I didn't pick anyone from my team out, but we still got the right result."

And McMahon revealed that the three points was all he was expecting by way of thanks for his efforts. He joked:

"I don't think I'm going to get a bonus for the assist. In fact I'll be lucky to get a pat on the back, but that's not what it's all about for us. We have to play like that for the rest of the season - scrap and fight for everything as a team."

Clough took on the United job following Chris Morgan's dismissal last month and was pleased to see 1000 travelling Blades fans backing his team. He said:

"I though they were brilliant. To get that level of support when you haven't won away is fantastic."

Former Derby boss Clough has now won three out of five games since taking over from Chris Morgan last month and said:

"It was a proper, good solid away performance, the first clean sheet we've had for a while and the first away win of the season. I told the players they're going to have to fight and scrap for everything and that's going to be the priority for the next 28 games."

City were jeered off by the home faithful as the team slipped back into the drop zone and their five game unbeaten run came to an end. Head coach Sean O'Driscoll  said:

"The players are really frustrated. We have had some hard knocks to take this season and that ranks up there with any of them."

In the 89th minute City thought they had grabbed a last gasp equaliser, but central defender Karleigh Osborne fouled keeper George Long before nodding in.

And City's players were furious twenty minutes earlier when their appeals for a penalty were turned down.

Jay Emmanuel-Thomas's corner fell to Marvin Elliott and the midfielder's shot appeared to be blocked by the arm of central defender Harry Maguire before Sam Baldock lashed the loose ball wide from close in.

But frustrated O'Driscoll revealed:

"I spoke to the fourth official who told me the ball was just blasted at the player who just couldn't get his arm out of the way. I haven't seen it again so we'll have to trust him on that."

There were few chances as both teams looked to move away from the danger zone.


Both keepers shut out tame free kicks and nine minutes before the break Emmanuel-Thomas picked out co-striker Baldock, but the City skipper struck a shot against Long's feet rather than feeding unmarked winger Scott Wagstaff who had the goal at his mercy.

Walsall 2 Peterborough United 0

Milan Lalkovic's request to skip international duty paid off as Walsall saw off ten man Posh.

Midfielder Lalkovic asked to be excused duty with the Slovakian U-21 team to concentrate on his club football and it paid off as he opened the scoring in the 26th minute.

Chelsea loanee Lalkovic pounced on a flick from Romaine Sawyers before slotting in his second goal for the club from a tight angle.

In the 69th minute Lalkovic returned the favour by setting up striker Sawyers to blast in his fourth of the campaign from ten yards.

Peterborough had defender Shaun Brisley sent off after picking up a second yellow card for a rash challenge on Lalkovic in the centre circle in the 77th minute.

Substitute Ashley Hemmings should have added to the score from the spot in the last minute, but keeper Bobby Olejnik saved his tame spot kick after Paul Downing was fouled.

Walsall boss Dean Smith was delighted with his team after their first league win in three games and said:

"When we play like that we can beat anybody. It was as good a ninety minute performance as we've had.

"Both goals were really well worked and we could've had more. 2-0 against a team of Peterborough's calibre is great."

Furious Posh manager Darren Ferguson has now seen his promotion favourites pick up only one point from the last four games and he fumed:

"It's a shame next month is December and not January because there are going to be changes. I think we should have had more points by now with the squad that we have.

"No-one's panicking though. We're having a blip at the moment and most teams will.

"I thought we were well beaten. It's very rare in football when the opposition are better than you in every position. I would've had no complaints if it had been more than two, but credit to Walsall, they are ab very good side."

My piece from this morning's paper

Bristol Rovers 1 Bury 1

John-Joe O'Toole revealed a blast from boss John Ward helped keep Rovers unbeaten run going.

Rovers lost nine of their first sixteen games, but are now undefeated in four and O'Toole, 25, scored his second spot kick in two games after winger Eliot Richards was felled by full back Shaun Beeley. He then revealed:

"Even though we got the early goal, we were slow to start. They beat us up and got the better of us. The gaffer got into us at half time and we came out brighter. We needed a rocket up the backside."

"We were on a bad run, but we've picked up a lot. We're going into each game with more confidence now."

O'Toole scores from the spot

Rovers manager John Ward accepted the draw and said:

"It is what it is. It was one of those games when both sides could've won it, but whether either side should've won it, I'll leave to others to make their minds up."

Ward is also feeling positive about his team's change in fortunes. He said:

“We are getting stronger and better. We now have to see if we can keep improving in the next couple of games.”

Striker Danny Hylton levelled nine minutes before the break. Full back Shaun Seeley whipped a cross over from the right flank and Rotherham loanee Hylton out jumped Rovers central defenders to bundle in his first goal for the club.

Steve Mildenhall had pulled off a late, great save to make sure of the point.

Veteran keeper Mildenhall, 35, needed to beat away a 90th minute strike from former Manchester United youth prospect Daniel Nardiello at full stretch to secure Rovers four game unbeaten run.

Bury's caretaker manager Ronnie Jepson is delighted to have secured the services of hit man Nardiello for a second loan spell from Rotherham. He said:

"He's a great addition to the football club. He scores goals at this level for fun and I'm looking forward to working with him. The Chairman did brilliantly to get the deal over the line. The coach had to be delayed to come down on Friday while we waited for him to fill in the forms - it was touch and go. He only got to know the lads in the hotel that night so it would have been too much to ask him to start, but he'll now have a big part to play."

Jepson was pleased with the effort shown by his team and said:

"The players gave me everything. I'm happy with the point, but we couldn't have got off to a worse start."

Bury should have cancelled out O'Toole's opener in the fifteenth minute, but Shaun Harrad was guilty of missing a real sitter.

Midfielder Tom Soares sent over a low cross from the right and striker Harrad somehow managed to balloon the ball over the bar from two yards in front of an empty goal.

Opposite number Chris Beardlsey was left equally red-faced in the 51st minute when he managed to nod defender Michael Smith's cross wide with the goal begging.

Six minutes later Smith split the Bury defence to pick out Beardsley again, but the striker's low shot was well saved by Brian Jensen.

Midenhall produces a flying save to palm away a Soares's free kick

My piece from the Sunday paper

... and Monday's edition

Shortwood v Port Vale

Gerrard, Rooney and Ibrahimović - Chris Birchall has battled with the best, but Nick Hancock is hoping to keep him under wraps tonight.

Former Trinidad and Tobago international Birchall, 29, who also played alongside David Beckham at LA Galaxy, goes head-head with Hancock  when Port Vale travel to play Shortwood United in the final First Round FA Cup tie.

Midfielder Hancock, 22, who runs Stourbridge-based shrink wrapping and packaging company Toorak with his dad, joked:

“I’ve had a word with a few of the lads at training and told them he’s only got about thirty caps and played in the World Cup finals so not to worry. I said, just leave him to me and I’ll put the shackles on!”

Nick Hancock hope to turn the heat up on Vale

But former England youth player Hancock believes that Birchall and his mates will be pleasantly surprised by the state of the Meadowbank pitch. He revealed:

“It’s probably unfortunate for us that our pitch is as good as it is. If we had a real dog and duck pitch and the people at the club didn’t look after it as much, then I think it would be a real leveler. But the fact that they do care so much about the club means Port Vale will probably like the surface. Then again, there’s just a bench around the pitch and so the proximately of the crowd might help us.”

“As players we’re all excited, of course we are, but this game is all about the people who run our club, who were there before we arrived and will still be there when we’ve finished playing. We just want to do ourselves justice for them.”

And Birmingham City fan Hancock, 22, is out for a little personal revenge against the Valiants. He recalled:

“The first away game I ever went to was against Port Vale and they battered us. When I saw us pull them out of the hat I thought ‘oh no, here we go again’.”

Joint manager Alex Sykes stunned the Potteries once before as part of the Nuneaton Borough side that knocked out Stoke City at the same stage in 2000. Hancock revealed:

“Believe me, we’ve heard a fair bit about that game in the last few days! He’s just trying to give us an idea of what to expect though and he’s still a useful player himself. If we could do something similar it would be amazing. I don’t know what he’s planning, but he might just come off the bench, sit behind the front two and get a cigar out.”

Shortwood were the smallest team to make it to the first round draw when they beat conference outfit Aldershot following a replay and play in the eighth tier of football’s pyramid and – 125 places below the Valiants.

The club expects a record 1,300 crowd and even rivals Forest Green Rovers are lending their support by showing the game on a big screen. With the Rovers clubhouse only two fields and a small copse away, the Shortwood players are sure to hear the locked-out locals if they manage a shock result.

Vale’s preparations have already suffered a slight hiccup and manager Mickey Adams revealed:

“We sent my chief scout down to watch them play at Swindon Supermarine on Wednesday night, but it was cancelled and people forgot to tell him, but there you go. But we are prepared and looking forward to progressing if we possibly can." 

But the League One club is not taking Shortwood's challenge lightly and Adams said:

“I think we have worked three times as hard on the training ground this week, so it's not been a pleasant week, particularly if you are a defender.”

My piece from the morning paper

Walsall 3 Shrewsbury 0

My piece from Monday's paper

Craig Westcarr's brace dumped local rivals Shrewsbury out of the cup and left Dean Smith purring.

Delighted Walsall boss Smith gushed:

"It was a really good performance from Craig and an unselfish one. In fact all of the players played really well and they were still trying to score more at the end. For a complete ninety minutes at home, that's the best we've played. The players worked really hard."

Striker Westcarr scored grabbed his first in the 29th minute.

Full back Andy Taylor raced down the right flank and Westcarr buried his low cross from six yards.

Craig Westcarr's opener

Westcarr netted his ninth of the season in the 59th minute.

Keeper Chris Weale did well to get down and save a low strike from on loan Chelsea midfielder Milan Lalkovic, but Westcarr returned the rebound with interest from twelve yards.

Westcarr's second

St. Kitts international Romaine Sawyers killed off the Tie in the 73rd minute

Westcarr teed up his co-striker 25 yards out and Sawyers belted in his third of the season.

Weale kept the score down with a string of great saves including three from Westcarr.

Westcarr was vintage class, but then saw pal Sawyers pick up the bubbly for his corker. He then joked:

"I think his dad must've been the sponsor! I'm happy enough though. I'm scoring goals and I like playing with Rom. He's a quality player."

Chelsea loanee Lalkovic, 20, felt his U-21 duties were stopping him getting a run with the Saddlers and said:

"I need momentum. I was going away for international fixtures and it was then taking me three games to get back into the Walsall team, but football here is more important to me at the moment."

Furious Shrews boss Graham Turner said:


"That was probably the most inept performance from a team I have put out for some time. I'll take my responsibility, but any criticism of the players will be confined to the dressing room."

My clipping from yesterday's paper

Bristol Rovers 3 York City 3

Steve Mildenhall's late, late gaff handed York a lifeline in a Cup thriller.

Keeper Mildenhall allowed an 86th minute cross from defender Larne Oyebanjo to slip through his fingers and substitute Wes Fletcher looked almost embarrassed to tap in from a couple of yards.

Disappointed manager John Ward refused to criticise Mildenhall and said: "Steve's been my most consistent player. He's apologised and we move on. I'm disappointed because it was there to be won and we didn't win it, but it shows how far we've come as I would have been delighted with a 3-3 draw a few weeks ago."

Rovers striker Eliot Richards had gone from villain to hero in the space of two minutes.

In the 35th minute Richards gave away a free kick on the right flank which was whipped in by Carson and striker Ryan Jarvis bundled the loose ball in after a collision between Mildenhall and York defender Chris Smith.

Ryan Jarvis opens the scoring for York

Richards then made amends when he pounced onto a pass from Oliver Norburn before skipping past two lunging tackles and prodding in from twelve yards.

Winger Josh Carson scored with a wonder strike to put York ahead again four minutes before the break.

Oyebanjo's long throw was headed clear and Carson returned a volley from 30 yards which dipped over Mildenhall into the top of the goal.

Matt Harrold made an immediate impact only seconds after coming on as a 59th minute substitute.

Striker Harrold had been out of action with a groin injury for six weeks, but nodded in Lee Brown's floated free kick for Rovers second equaliser.

Harrold's first touch!

And Preston loanee Chris Beardsley looked as though he had nodded in defender Michael Smith's superb cross for the winner on his home debut when he gave Rovers the lead for the first time in the 75th minute.

Chris Beardsley puts Rovers ahead

York boss Nigel Worthington said: "That one had FA Cup written all over it. Six great goals and we live to fight another day. It was a good, honest, competitive game and I can't see it being any different in the replay."

Bristol City 2 Crawley Town 0

My clipping from today's paper

Jay Emmanuel-Thomas helped drag City out of the drop zone and set up their first home win.

Striker Emmanuel-Thomas shrugged of a challenge from former Robins defensive target Kyle McFadzean in the 80th minute before slotting in his twelfth goal of the campaign from twelve yards.

Three minutes from time Emmanuel-Thomas fed winger Joe Bryan who blasted in his first league goal for the club from a tight angle to seal City's second win of the season.

Less than one minute after the opener keeper Elliot Parish shut out Crawley striker Jamie Proctor's point blank header to settle City nerves.

Parish did brilliantly to palm away a stinging twenty yard drive from striker Emile Sinclair - the only real effort of a dull first half.

But City came out for the second half with more intent and skipper Sam Baldock drilled a shot  wide while defender Karleigh Osbourne nodded an effort over.

Relieved City boss Sean O'Driscoll watched his team climb out of the relegation zone and said:

"It was a difficult ninety minutes as they are a good side. We're on a run where confidence is fragile. The players dug in though. It was a performance that warranted the three points.

"It was one of those wins where if we'd been at the tip of the table it's a professional one, but where we are at the moment it's seen as a scrappy win."

Crawley manager Richie Barker groaned:

"It was frustrating. I thought we did the right things for 80 minutes - unfortunately a games lasts 90 minutes. Our decision making in those last ten minutes cost us. There was nothing in the game. I thought it had 0-0 written all over it and I would've taken that."

Oxford United 0 Bristol Rovers 1

This morning's piece

John-Joe O'Toole had the last laugh after shrugging off a horror miss to knock Oxford off top spot.

Midfielder O'Toole coolly slotted in his fourth goal of the season from the spot in the 71st minute after Oxford skipper Jake Wright had clipped the heels of Eliot Richards as he shaped to shoot just inside the box.

But O'Toole does expect Rovers to build on this first win in ten games win and said:

"I was a bit shocked to start the season the way we have, but we are where we are and there's no reason why we can't crack on from here and start grinding out more results."

O'Toole, 25, was sporting a cut to his left eye when he scored from the spot following a trip on Eliot Richards by Oxford skipper Jake Wright. He then explained:

"I'm into my music and took up the guitar about four years ago. Last week I was sitting having a strum on my Fender Stratocaster and when I stood up we had a bit of a strange coming together. It was a bit unexpected!"

O'Toole's never-say-die attitude struck a chord with Rovers manager John Ward who said:

"He's as tough as they come and I know that when he puts the shirt on he gives you all he's got. If my young midfielders want to learn, they just have to watch him."

Ward was pleased with his side's first away win and said:

"I'm delighted because we've played as well as that in games this season and haven't got anything. It hasn't surprised me though as I've seen it coming. A lot of my young players grew up today, but the spirit in the camp has never been in question."

O'Toole could have put his team ahead twice in the first half.

Striker Chris Beardsley fed O'Toole six yards in front of goal in the 26th minute, but he ended up being taunted by the home support after taking a fresh air shot with the goal begging.

Beardsley was making his debut following a loan move from Preston last week and ten minutes later nodded down for O'Toole to knock the ball in, but the effort was ruled offside.

Try (John-Joe misses a first half chance)...

Try (This time he's ruled offside)...

... and try again - Eventually he gets his reward!

Striker James Constable blew a great chance to notch his 100th club goal in the 68th minute when he nodded full back David Hunt's cross wide from six yards to sum up Oxford's day.

Central defender Johnny Mullins nearly put Oxford in front seconds before the break, but headed Hunt's free kick just wide.

Oxford striker Dave Kitson, 33, was left angered by referee Mark Brown's treatment of teammate Alfie Potter while the substitute was being strapped to a stretcher following a challenge by Tom Lockyer. He blasted:

"The referee's swearing at him telling him if he keeps talking he's going to send him off. He is probably the most arrogant man I've come across on a football pitch in all of my life. The lad's lying there with tears in his eyes and a brace around his leg."

Potter's injury also worried Oxford manager Chris Wilder who revealed:

"We thought it might be a break but it looks like ligament damage to his ankle, which is the last thing we need."

Wilder admitted:

"We were the architects of our own downfall and missed the best three chances of the game. The foul for the penalty was outside the box, but the referee just wanted to steal the show."

Sunday's edition