February 9th 2008 @ 15:16

[Snake]

That’s the exact time and date that Oxford United hit the bottom of this long term downward spiral and it will be statistically remembered as the lowest ever point in our long history.

Fifteenth in the Blue Square Premier League, and facing a penalty kick at home against Histon with the score at nil nil..

[Foghorn]

That’s the exact time and date that Oxford United hit the bottom of this long term downward spiral and it will be statistically remembered as the lowest ever point in our long history.

Fifteenth in the Blue Square Premier League, and facing a penalty kick at home against Histon with the score at nil nil..

This is fabulous news. Source?

The moment is amusingly (ouch!) captured in the photo in the Histon gallery on the official site. As is the second penalty save, however it appears that with the second penalty the fan watching from behind the goal in the East Stand may well have had it covered if Turley had failed to pounce. Nice picture of Matt Green's volley there as well.

http://www.oufc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/Ga ... 29,00.html

[A-Ro]

The score flattered us but I enjoyed it immensley, there was an awful lot of non league football on display out there but for the first time in ages we looked like a team that could cope with it.

Richards held the ball better than anyone we've had in years and that gave the midfield the time and confidence to play further up the pitch

Turley deserves all the plaudits he's going to get after those saves, another keeper on another weekend would have seen us lose that game.

I liked the look of Howard not only because he got a goal but he also looked the real deal at left back.

I still hate referees, today's example has got nothing to be proud of and I wish I could sit down in front of a replay with him and ask his opinion of all the one eyed, useless decisions he gave. I'm not saying they were all wrong but the ones that were, were shockers. He got away with the worst one when we should have had a penalty for a blatant piece of shirt pulling in the box but Howard managed to score, I'm sure he will say he was playing advantage but I wonder if he would have given it if we hadn't have scored, I doubt it.

A coupe of people round me thought that Howard's goal was deflected in, I hought he curled it inside the post, anyone else got an opinion?

[recordmeister]

a few points:

1. yes, still very non-league. But guess what? We are in the non-league and now we are starting to look like putting together a team of non-league player to win in the non-league, than a bunch of over-paid league drop outs who think they can do no work and still win.

2. The refs in this div are shocking. Seriously, the guy we had do the Raging Fever game beforehand was better. Correct on Penner no.2, however.

3. Patto has my full support. I wish him all the best and am really starting to see what he wants to do. I saw it for the 1st time working at aldershot, and now we are getting it right at home. It will mean nowt however (and we will see a REAL change) if we lose at home to Droys. next week.

I can't remember a 1st half as remarkable as that, ever. bonkers.

[OUFC4eva]

I too think that Patterson is slowly getting things right.
Histon are very effective at what they do and close you down everywhere
and have two or three good players. Steve Fallon has done a remarkable job and John Beck's influence in their play is there for all to see!

We have only just started this &quotrecovery&quot and I believe
good things are starting to emerge. A few good wins will see confidence returning I am sure or though Yemi looks a busted flush to me.

Michael Howard looks very comfortable at left back and Blackwood
gives us something we have not seen in years on the left hand side of midfield: he can go both ways, has pace and he put in a couple of great crosses. Richards works hard and I would like to see him rewarded with a goal next Saturday.

Adam Murray is a good signing in midfield and I see real potential in
Matt Green. He looks a terrific prospect with plenty of running power
and enthusiasm. (better than Zebroski in my book)

If this side were in a similar position to the Oxford team 12 months ago, I would be confident of promotion.

As Snake says - we may just have bottomed out!

[Sideshow Rob]

A coupe of people round me thought that Howard's goal was deflected in, I hought he curled it inside the post, anyone else got an opinion?

There was a deflection but It probably would have beaten the keeer anyway.

[GodalmingYellow]

I too think that Patterson is slowly getting things right.
Histon are very effective at what they do and close you down everywhere
and have two or three good players. Steve Fallon has done a remarkable job and John Beck's influence in their play is there for all to see!

We have only just started this &quotrecovery&quot and I believe
good things are starting to emerge. A few good wins will see confidence returning I am sure or though Yemi looks a busted flush to me.

Michael Howard looks very comfortable at left back and Blackwood
gives us something we have not seen in years on the left hand side of midfield: he can go both ways, has pace and he put in a couple of great crosses. Richards works hard and I would like to see him rewarded with a goal next Saturday.

Adam Murray is a good signing in midfield and I see real potential in
Matt Green. He looks a terrific prospect with plenty of running power
and enthusiasm. (better than Zebroski in my book)

If this side were in a similar position to the Oxford team 12 months ago, I would be confident of promotion.

As Snake says - we may just have bottomed out!

I agree with that.

Don't agree with A-Ro that the scoreline flattered us. Apart from the pens, Turley didn't have a save to make.

Sure the first 25 minutes it still looked crumbly and Histon were marginaly hte better side, but once the first pen was saved, the team started to gain confidence and didn't look back.

All the new signings looked very much the part. An excellent pairing up front, and with McAllister back soon, we finally have real goal scoring threat and defence worriers.

Blackwood as expected is a very good left winger. Knows how to time going past the player, goes both ways, so the defender has no idea what he will do next, has pace and can play a bit iwth his right foot as well. The first real winger we've had since Joey.

Our only weaker positions are now central midfield (Hutchinson who played OK yesterday) and right wing (Yemi who did not play OK yesterday).

After getting a bit of a berating from the crowd on his first refusal to get forward, Eddie Anacelt then started to play, really, really well. I don't think I've ever seen him play in such a positive way. His movement and attack of the ball both wide and coming inside was a real gem in the game, and he created a lot of opportunities in a fairly short space of time. Deserving of a start next week after that performance.

Time for Yemi to get a period on the subs bench methinks.

Overall, the passing and movement on and off the ball was really good, and we saw a numbe rof very good finishes.

Still we were in this position a few weeks ago after Alty. The difference this time, is that Histon are miles better than Alty.

I want to see us really attack Droylsden and put a few past them, as evidence that this was not a one off.

The future's bright, the future's yellow.

[Old Abingdonian]

I wasn't there yesterday (Forest of Dean small primary schools 6 a side), but I believed on the basis of Grays that Patto has a clear strategy.

I presume that the pressures that led Kidderminster to loan Blackwood and Richards also mean that they will sell. It might be more difficult to free up wages on a permanent basis - let's hope Jeannin does better as a Harrier. I see no reason why Morecombe would want to hang on to Howard (who does look good to me), but is there a chance that if Green starts really banging them in, Cardiff will want him back, or want a fee?

[Baboo]

is there a chance that if Green starts really banging them in, Cardiff will want him back, or want a fee?

He has started, the question is will he keep on doing it.

[boris]

That’s the exact time and date that Oxford United hit the bottom of this long term downward spiral and it will be statistically remembered as the lowest ever point in our long history.

Fifteenth in the Blue Square Premier League, and facing a penalty kick at home against Histon with the score at nil nil..

I'm not too sure what &quotstatistically remembered&quot means, but this certainly isn't the lowest ever point in our long history. Even ignoring when we were knocking about in local leagues prior to turning professional, United finished a lot lower than our current position in their first season in the Southern League, and in later seasons were also at times in a lower position. Also, we have thought before that we'd bottomed out, but the downward trend continued after upwards blips.

I agree with most people's match analysis, but it does worry me that we may not be able to sign some of these loan players permanently (in a temporary way), especially Howard, who only joined on a one-month deal initially, and so may not feature after Droylsden. We need to keep all of these players so that all this good work isn't undone. We should be able to keep the Kiddy ones - Blackwood is out of contract at the end of the season, and Richards won't want to return to a side in even worse decline than we have been. It would be great to keep Howard and Green, too. Let's hope that our powers of persuasion and bargaining do the biz.

[Snake]

Ok, so itÔÇÖs the lowest point since the 1950ÔÇÖs, so I should have said the lowest point in living memory!

[Sideshow Rob]

It wasn't that low. I was confident the penalty would be missed.

[DLT]

Watching OUFC is becoming a surreal, out of body experience for me.

I reckon I really don't care anymore.

Maybe yesterday was 'the real' turning point. Certainly we can claim the luck went our way. Those were the crapest two penalties we will ever face. Billy would have been shot if he let either in. In the first 30 minutes they were completely overrunning us. They had pace and strength. The centre back impressed me with his strength and pace

But as our luck changed so did our confidence.

Certainly our improved pace is a major step forward. Green took his goal very well. I am unsure about Richards, but he certainly has potential.

Yemi had an awful game, the lad looks totally shot. However I get totally pissed off with those who get straight on his back, only a few months agohe was scaring defences to death and it is common knowledge he has been forced to play through an injury.

Blackwood got over a shaky start and really impressed in the last 20 minutes.

Even Hutch finished the game strongly after a crap hour.

Droylesdon seem to be blown out at the moment, so now is our chance to get a run going.

[A-Ro]

Certainly we can claim the luck went our way. Those were the crapest two penalties we will ever face. Billy would have been shot if he let either in. In the first 30 minutes they were completely overrunning us. They had pace and strength.

Which is exactly why I think that the final score flattered us.

[Baboo]

Certainly we can claim the luck went our way. Those were the crapest two penalties we will ever face. Billy would have been shot if he let either in. In the first 30 minutes they were completely overrunning us. They had pace and strength.

Which is exactly why I think that the final score flattered us.

They are a physical team and we did not let them over power us.
Other than the pens I cannot remember Turley being particularly troubled.
We had one debutant and three others who have hardly played any games for us so in the circumstances we did pretty well.
Yes we were crap for the first half an hour but overall I did not think 3-0 flattered us. By the end of the game Histon were well beaten.