VALIANT UNITED BEAT VALE...

[OUFC4eva]

I thought we deserved that.

Some of the football played by this United side was a joy to watch
with some confident passing with the ball being moved around with pace.

For long spells United's young back four withstood all that Vale threw at them but when United went one up Micky Adams made some shrewd changes around the hour mark and United were penned back and struggled to get out of their own half. But I thought we would hang on but Vale levelled after we failed to clear.

Queue the United response which was immediate with Green playing in Tommy Craddock who finished low with precision and coolness.

A great three points and the youngsters will hopefully gain confidence and belief from a brave showing against the leaders.

Man of the Match for me? Harry Worley. He is going to be a player.

Josh Payne is very talented and has lots of ability too and could be a great acquisition longer term.

Good to hear snake's call to Radio Oxford although I did not see it &quotgo off&quot
as I was in the car trying to plan my exit strategy from the West End car park !

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BORIS TOO.

[boris]

Yay!

[Werthers Original]

Yeah! A proper game between two proper teams

[A-Ro]

My niece said that she couldn't understand people leaving games early after today's game (AmershamWrighty!!) and I replied that I can't understand people that don't like football.

You can spend £60 or more watching Premiershite football but you will have to go a long way before you see a game of football as good as we saw today.

We've played at higher levels in the past and we all thought it was brilliant but for pure excitement today is the bollocks.

Come on you Yellows.

[Swissbloke]

I totally agree.

You wait all week to get to football and then piss off early. I don't get it.

At all.

[John Byrne's Underpants]

It annoys me so much. There are people in the row in front of us who always go 5 minutes from the end. We're forever having to lean or stand up and watch as they amble along the row! Is an extra half an hour in the car park that bad??

Today was karma

Great game today. Clarke was MoM for me, although Alfie came a good second. Pleased we won after their stupid fans ran on the pitch (why does the East stand always retaliate?). Heard there was trouble after the match, hope it wasn't too serious.

[Tabbernackle]

Yeah, people who leave early- I don't get it either... However I do know Amersham Wrighty had a prior engagement meaning he had to leave early (he never usually does)

[amershamwrighty]

Oi ! Give me a break ! I had a 100 mile drive after today's game and waited for a break in play before leaving so that I kept my exit disturbance to a minimum.

[Snake]

Good to hear snake's call to Radio Oxford although I did not see it &quotgo off&quot as I was in the car trying to plan my exit strategy from the West End car park !

I offer my sincere congratulations to Jerome for very professionally calming me down and changing the topic to the game itself (like Constable’s prospects of playing abroad) after about two minutes of my rant against a spineless bit of policing today.

The incident after the game that enraged me enough to call RadOx for the first time in years was trouble that started off in the West car park after the game with a bit of hand bagging amongst quite ordinary fans - just a one on one to start with, then a three on three, and all the time under the watchful eye of van loads of Babylon. No point in getting involved, thought I, so like lots of others I put on my car radio to hear the post-match Wilder interview and patiently waited for the car park to clear a bit before starting up my engine and joining the queue. I lit up a cigarette outside my motor, basked in the glory of an amazing game back in the real world of the Football League and assumed a bit of minor post-match aggro was nothing all that unusual.

Then it got worse, with a dozen fans involved, then two dozen after about five minutes (yes, five whole minutes). Ordinary supporters were getting out of their cars and trying to break things up. Punches were thrown and it was clearly escalating so I went over to the nearest officer about 20 yards away and said “can’t you see what developing here?

[Geoff]

There's a chap in my row this season who goes out once or twice in the first half, once in the second half and then leaves early. If his bladder's that weak he should take a milk bottle.

Great game today, someone on RadOx thought we were lucky to get the win but I disagree. We played the better football for long spells. Port Vale were good but they were more workmanlike than quality. I was expecting a bit more subtlety from them. Our whole team played well. Special mentions for Worley, Potter and Heslop. Beano wasn't at his best but probably only so noticeable because of his usual excellent standard. It was great to get the dramatic win in front of a big crowd as well. So often we disappoint on those occasions.

[Swissbloke]

I'm not picking on Amersham, me rant is at the lads infront of us who always leave on 85mins. always. I just don't get it. Do they leave the cinema early too or switch off the TV before the end of the program or even get off the bus 2 stops early. Just so odd.

On to the game. I have Wembley-like vibes this morning. really buzzing. Craddock was excellent and Clarke is Superman. Best keeper, outstanding!

As for the trouble, there were lots of Po-lice running around the west car park with a further group stood by F&ampB's. The group by the pasta establishment were laughing at a certain rotund copper, that seemed to be their role. take the piss out of their fellow officers. I even turned round and said &quotyou can't say that&quot at which point they all looked a bit beetroot in the face.

There were about 30 or so Vale hoolies wandering around the bingo carpark escorted by the cops. They wandered round there for at least 20 mins , feeling pretty dumb that they were being taked for a really shite tour of a car park.

[A-Ro]

Oi ! Give me a break ! I had a 100 mile drive after today's game and waited for a break in play before leaving so that I kept my exit disturbance to a minimum.

Meh.

[Ancient Colin]

100 miles, is that all?

That last few minutes summed up all that is great about football: the deflation followed by euphoria ...

... made much more special by the fact that the dick behind us who had spent the entire match ruining my enjoyment with his stream of (stupid) instructions to the team, the sort of inanities that really bad junior football coaches shout at their under twelves, thus ruining any hope of an increase in skill levels in England his ignorant interpretations and his stupid blinkered criticism of any incident and decision that didn't go in Oxford's favour stamped off in fury when Vale equalised and hence missed the winner. Priceless.

My first sight of Payne, who looked very useful, and of Craddock, who didn't particularly: well apart from scoring the opener and the winner, of course! Only slight disappointment was Constable, who looked well off form.

[slappy]

It seems that Potter has now settled into the starting line-up ahead of Green, although I still think the impact of the impact double substitution on the hour mark of Deering and Potter has its merits. Midson it seems will only be on the bench until Constable is injured or suspended.

Another nerve-wracking last half hour as we were undecided between trying for a second goal or defending the lead.

I was slightly bemused by the Port Vale mini-pitch invasion - they scored an equaliser that was all - hardly a last game of the season promotion.

Someone said the last minute winner reminded them of the comeback against York on the opening day of last season. I would have added the away game against Crawley last year - if I hadn't left that match at half time.

[Yankee Clipper]

Yesterday was my most enjoyable home game for a long long time. Made the journey worth while and seemed to get home in a minute. Still smiling