Don ('t) stop me now

[GodalmingYellow]

I felt the game was a bit of a damp squib.

Two relatively safe sides with little to play for at the end of a season of drudgery in lower mid table.

Ashdown did well in goal, coming for the ball when necessary, and staying back when there was ample defensive cover. He looked safe on high balls and he made a couple of decent saves. It was a clean sheet, so not much more could be asked of him really.

Whing looked out of shape and made a number of defensive mistakes, including at least 2 in the air unusually, which might have resulted in us conceding against better strikers. His "shot" which was a very naiive attempted chip of their keeper who was already almost on his line showed why he never became a striker. I can't see Andy Whing still being an Oxford player next season.

Hoban had a poor game and was never really in it, bar one very difficult chance early on. He went off (possibly injured) to be replaced by Vassell who was equally poor. Despite his normally good hold up play, he simply doesn't look like scoring often enough to justify a place in the squad up front. I could actually see him being useful in a central midfield role because of his strength, but otherwise, I think both he and the club need to have a re-think.

Raise the Roofe (the Roofe's on fire) looked pretty decent again, as did Hylton, but for all their bluff and bluster, we had very few attempts on goal and barely anything on target.

Our back line finally looks settled and controlled, which is good obviously, and I think it shows that the weaknesses earlier in the season were down to the flanks and not the centre backs. Hopefully we will retain our present back line and add to it with further players of similar quality over the summer to create proper competition for the places.

Cobblers will be a tougher test tomorrow.

[Kairdiff Exile]

Ashdown did well in goal, coming for the ball when necessary, and staying back when there was ample defensive cover. He looked safe on high balls and he made a couple of decent saves.

Funny. I wasn't at the game (Jerome), but an AFCW-supporting friend was, and his texts to me during the match said the exact opposite! To quote: "Your keeper is awful. He is not comfortable at all". Funny how two people can watch the same game and have such different perspectives! FWIW, the same friend though MacDonald was a bit chunky but very effective and a real danger, and that as a whole Oxford were workaday and functional but reasonably good on the break - and that we should be in the top 7 next season(!).

I went to watch Newport County vs Bury on Saturday (couldn't get the shore leave to go all the way to London). Bury are a good side at this level and deserve to sneak promotion. Newport, meanwhile, are seriously on the skids now. Wouldn't surprise me at all if they're next season's basket-case club - all their best players will be out of contract and financially they seem screwed. All of which bodes well for our final game of the season there on 2nd May.

[Kernow Yellow]

FWIW, the same friend though MacDonald was a bit chunky but very effective and a real danger

After the home game on Easter Monday I was chatting with some York fans at the bus stop. They said they were delighted when MacDonald was substituted because he'd caused them problems all game! Which is funny because I had barely noticed he was on the pitch. Indeed most Us fans seem to think he's been rubbish in both games.