FAN’S VIEW 21/22 – NO.39

OXFORD UNITED 4 CAMBRIDGE UNITED 2

I knew there would be a decent turnout for Joey but had not quite appreciated how many and what it would actually feel like. This was our fourth home league game in a row where the crowd has been over 10k. (Has that ever happened before, even when we were in the top flight? Probably but I’m not convinced.)

No disrespect to Cambridge who brought 646 fans with them but they’re not the draw that the previous three, Wednesday, Pompey and Bolton are. In those games the average number of Oxford fans in attendance was 8508 but on Saturday 9358 turned up.

When it all started I knew there were tears in eyes and had been for a while leading up to it all. It started for me as I walked along the back of the SSU to my seat. I’d decided not to look too many people in the face in case those tears turned into floods. (Yes, I know that shouldn’t matter). When the “London Road” both “left side” and “right side” belted out “Joey, Joey Beauchamp, Joey Beauchamp on the wing” and “He’s one of our own” I knew I couldn’t join in. My voice would have been so feeble and faltering that nothing would have come out. I didn’t even want to talk to anyone really. I glanced at Mrs FV and then quickly turned my gaze back to the pitch and stand opposite and to my right.

What a job our football club and the fans have done during this dark time. It made the day as bright as it could be in the circumstances. His daughters, his family, the wreaths, the flowers, all those academy players, that incredible banner produced in such a short space of time, Karl, the minute applause and PRB managing to hold it all together. That’s emotion. Deep, deep emotion.  And mention must be made of the visitors who played their part too. Thanks to all concerned. It was a day that will never be forgotten.

This was the build-up. There was still a football match to get through and three points to be won. The obvious question was how would this affect the players? Help or hinder the cause? They can’t have really known Joey but must have realised what he means to OUFC and what a part of the history he is. The number of games played. That goal against Blackpool. That goal at Prenton Park. The talent. The transfer to West Ham to save the club.

We didn’t start the game well. The traits that are there for all to see in many of the games we lose (although to be fair we don’t lose a lot) were evident here. Our movement of the ball was slow. We were not winning the physical battles. Defensively we looked quite porous. In midfield we weren’t picking up the loose balls. Passes were made but there was confusion as to the intended recipient.

With Elliott Moore out it was a return to four at the back with the centre half pairing being Luke McNally and the defensively versatile Sam Long. Full backs Ryan Williams and Steve Seddon. How would that pan out? Would RW be expected to get up and down in the same way as if we had three centre halves? The answer was yes and what a performance he put in. I think we all know there’s a question mark over Sedds though.

Cambridge were no mugs. 1-0 up in the sixth minute aided and abetted by our defending and possibly the sun too. A free-kick lumped forward into the right-back position had defenders staring into the light. Williams claimed a foul by Sam Smith which probably wasn’t there, Luke McNally ran past the ball allowing James Brophy to set up a team mate for a cross that had us in trouble. With our tallest centre-half nowhere near the centre of the goal it was left to Sam Long to get his head to the ball but unfortunately he got under it. Straight up in the air it went and back down again still in the penalty area.   Paul Digby out jumped Seddon with Brannagan close by too, leaving Smith looking at only Jack Stevens to beat but with the ball bouncing towards goal, instead of running onto it and unleashing a point blank range effort, he stretched into it first time. I’ll give our keeper the benefit of the doubt and say he was taken by surprise so it would be unfair to say he didn’t set himself properly.

Smith’s provocative celebrations in front of the East Stand were completely out of keeping with what the occasion was all about. I don’t know why he did it. I’d not heard him receiving any stick from home fans but there’s no wonder he got loads of abuse thereafter.

At half time there was a feeling that we were lucky to be level. Knowing that we can be so much better than we had been, I was of that mind too but had detected some improvement leading up to the equaliser. Also knowing what talent we now have, a goal can come at any time.

It took us half an hour to get back on level terms although we really should have done so before then. Long had a golden opportunity after a Herbie Kane free kick over the top but his contact with the ball was shin not foot.

Kane was again the provider with another ball over the top which Sam Baldock brought out of the air with the skill that tells he’s played most of his football at a higher level than this. It was a shame that the instant shot with his other foot was not of the same standard.

The knocking eventually opened the door and it was a very well fashioned goal. We kept possession from a throw on the left when the ball was worked cross field from Brannagan to Kane to McNally and then on to Williams. Our Aussie’s delivery was either deftly flicked on or dummied by Baldock with our ever alert nose for a goal no.9 reading it perfectly and he couldn’t miss from six yards out.

At the beginning of part two we didn’t start as though we would grab control from the start and Cambridge looked quite menacing although their finishing didn’t match some neat build up play.

It was now a very good game of football. End to end stuff with it looking 50:50 as to which side would get the next goal as there were so many turnovers. The way the match was going there was certainly going to be further movement of the digits on the scoreboard.

We had a corner but lost out and Cambridge made a break for it but moved the ball quickly more sideways than forward and we nicked it back. When it looked like we could launch an attack it was our turn to get robbed. The player losing out was Seddon and one pass later Smith was haring towards our goal. One pass and we were undone.

I keep asking myself if I’m too unforgiving when it comes to writing about our goal-keeper’s contribution to matches but I can’t help it. I thought he did poorly on two counts. Firstly he didn’t advance from his box to narrow the angle. Secondly he got a hand to Smith’s shot but was unable to keep it out.  I don’t know the intricacies of the art of keeping goal so may have got this all wrong but at the moment I’m very worried about a lack of strength in that position at the club. Before he got ill Jack was doing okay but clearly still learning his trade. Since his return he’s not been as good.

At least this time Smith ran towards his own fans. When he was with us he was pretty crap but now looks a different player. A handful of a physical centre forward and he’s scoring too. Perhaps we’ve just not got the coaching tools to bring a player of that type on or decided they wouldn’t fit with our style. No need for a weapon like that as part of a plan B and at present with the Baldock / Taylor partnership clicking and bearing fruit I can’t argue with that.  We’ve also got Marcus Browne and how good was it to see him come on for a quarter of an hour? Felt to me like he’d never been away and it was noticeable that he won quite a lot in the air. Don’t need a really tall fella up top after all.

Going behind for a second time was obviously a pisser but heads didn’t drop. We must know that playing as we did we will let goals in but we also know we will score a few too. It only took us eight minutes to get level again.

Each side was trying to play with the other putting the effort in to get the ball back when they didn’t have it. Passes that went astray were pounced on with the game going to and fro.

We had started to look very potent down the right with Williams and Mark Sykes linking up as well as anyone has in that area since we had the privilege of watching the other Baldock.

Williams took possession and slotted a top pass through an angled line of players to Baldock who’d pointed exactly where he wanted the ball played. Before he made contact he’d looked up to see what options were available. He found Brannagan with the pull back and a side footed equaliser ensued. That was quite special from Baldock but also very natural and definitely not a one off. Class like that isn’t always on show in L1 encounters.

Cambridge were still playing and Smith was allowed a header a few yards out which was saved by Stevens with a bit of juggling thrown in for good measure. Again I’d ask a question – should he have taken a couple of steps and caught the cross?

He deserves huge praise for what happened next. He immediately cleared long and Taylor showed he could match Baldock in the bringing of the ball out of the air. But for a very good strong hand which keeper Dimitar Mitov managed to get up near his face we would have taken the lead for the first time there and then.

That lead did come though, in the 72^nd minute.  We had a free-kick mid-way in our own half and McNally found Williams who after a couple of touches pushed the ball into the path of Sykes who was on the sprint. He played it in first time and Baldock turned it in.

Having only a fraction of the faith in our defence that I had in our attack I was convinced that if we were going to win this we’d still need another goal.

We did get a fourth which was nice but I was wrong about actually needing it. Now it was us picking up the loose balls and Williams was roaming free.

A free-kick taken by Stevens was headed out by the Cambridge defence but Brannagan soon had the ball at Sykes’s feet and this time it was his turn to return the compliment to Williams with his pass to the overlapper. Our opponents couldn’t clear and Brannagan repeated his side footed finish of earlier.

What a way to finish the day. Hope Joey was looking down and enjoying free from worry.

Results elsewhere weren’t too bad for us either.

Wycombe lost again, this time 3-2 at Accrington. Since they beat us they’ve played seven league games and taken just three points. They’re now seven points behind us but with a game in hand.

Ipswich dropping two further points by drawing at Morecambe was another bonus. They’ve played the same games but are nine points worse off than we are. Carry on like this and it will be sooner rather than later when it is mathematically impossible for sides like the Tractor Boys to overtake us. I say that though knowing that form comes and goes. This applies to us as much as every other team.

Plymouth losing at home was another good result for us but it is no disgrace to lose to the top act in L1, Rotherham, who won 1-0 again. With two games in hand the Pilgrims are six points adrift of us with an inferior goal difference.

There are still big threats about. Sheffield Wednesday with games in hand can push us down from our 4^th place. Sunderland who we’d written off after a rotten run turned over Wigan, the only team that could supposedly give the Millers a run for their money. They’re only three points behind us.

Could Wigan blow up and be caught? If so MK Dons, unbeaten in eight, look to be the ones most likely to do so.

Stats to throw in before I sign off.

We’re back on top of the goals scored per game chart and when it comes to goals per game conceded despite these two are still ninth. More clean sheets please.

League One leading goal scorers: 4^th Matty Taylor (17). Joint 8^th Cameron Brannagan (12).