LFL: OXFORD

This wasn’t a comfortable win and it took a well-taken penalty to get through. Oxford were always in with a chance and their goalie Ingram put in a great performance with several crucial saves. So, we’re into the draw for the next round and let’s hope it’s a home game against challenging visitors.   

BEFORE

Regis has again stressed that he's taking this match seriously and will be choosing a strong side so I'm hoping for further progress in the competition. It wasn't long ago that Oxford beat us at their place in the league but it’s a different world now. They're second off bottom in the Championship but we all know that league form often doesn't matter in the Cup, though I do expect us to prevail today and am jumping the gun by entertaining dreams of Newcastle at home in the next round. I'm in Cornwall for the weekend and am hoping that we can persuade the landlord in the pub opposite to put the match on. Failing that, it'll have to be audio online. Match prediction: 3-1 to us. 

When I got the team-news I saw that there were six changes from Wednesday's starting line-up with O’Nien, Cirkin, Geertruida, Talbi, Mundle and Isidor replacing Ballard, Alderete, Reinildo, Sadiki, Angulo and Brobbey. Only the last three were among the substitutes. It was still a strong starting eleven, though I wasn’t acquainted with a couple of the subs. We got the nod from the pub landlord and were the only two in the bar as kick-off approached. My mate’s a Liverpool fan and her match prediction was 3-2 to us. Patrick Roberts got the equaliser in the Birmingham v Leeds match and I took this as a good omen. We were playing in red and white and that’s always good.

THE GAME

We were doing too much of the sideways-backwards stuff in the opening stages but in the fifth minute Le Fee put in a great pass to Mundle in their box though under challenge the ball went out for a goal-kick. I thought Donley was lucky to escape a yellow for a foul on Le Fee. Talbi fed Isidor with a great cross but his shot was judged to have gone out for a goal-kick, though that was a bit dubious. There was no VAR of course. In the seventeenth Roefs had to get down to gather a cross and that was his first real involvement in the game. Next thing he was called on to make a good save from Donley and we immediately raced upfield with Mundle going on a long mazy run but his final shot rolled weakly wide of their right post. Oxford won the first corner in the twenty-first and after they’d taken it short Roefs was there to catch the ensuing cross. Oxford were definitely showing a threat at times.

Geertruida had a long distance shot in the twenty-fifth that went well over and it was good to see him having a go at least as there’s been some criticism of our players for not trying shots from outside the box. We were awarded a free-kick in a good spot outside their box but Le Fee’s kick went well over as well. Right on the half-hour mark we were awarded a penalty when Makosso hacked down Cirkin right on the left edge of the box. Diarra took the kick and coolly rolled it into the bottom right corner with goalie Ingram going the wrong way. Le Fee was booked for a bad tackle on Brannigan. Hume soon joined him in ref Thomas Kirk’s book for another foul. Things were evened up a bit on that front when Vaulks was yellow-carded. Oxford won another corner in the forty-second though some were shouting for a penalty as Mills went down – never a penna. Anyway, Hume headed away the corner and that was that. It was getting a bit niggly all over the pitch. Makosso had a decent header from a long throw from our left but he didn’t get it on target. Two minutes of added-time were announced and then Le Fee went down clutching his elbow. He was able to continue and very soon the half-time whistle went to a chorus of boos from the home fans. It had been a competitive game and we’d taken our chance when it was offered. 

There were no changes for either side as we kicked off again. Three minutes in, Oxford won another corner but it went right over for a goal-kick. Isidor was booked for what I think was an off the ball incident but he was soon seen smiling away. Another Oxford long throw was headed out for a corner by O’Nien and Roefs dealt comfortably with it. Oxford won yet another corner in the fifty-sixth and Roefs grabbed that one too. Mundle had a powerful shot on target which Ingram did well to block. He saved well again when Talbi hit a great shot, tipping it over for a corner. Ingram had to turn a follow-up shot out for another corner and I felt a second goal coming. Brannagan was booked and when Le Fee took the free-kick from just outside their box it hit Jin-Woo in the face and he had to receive treatment. In the sixty-fourth Sadiki replaced Diarra and Mayenda came on for Isidor. Mayenda had a good shot on target with his first touch and Ingram again did well to turn it out. He saved well yet again from a Sadiki header as we won another corner. 

Lankshear had the ball in our net, though we’d stopped playing by then, when he was involved in a two horse race with O’Nien and was adjudged by the assistant referee to have been offside. I have to say it didn’t look offside. With ten minutes on the clock Talbi went off and Jocelin came on for his debut, I believe. Oxford were fired up to get that equaliser as the rain started to pour down again. There was a good racket in the stadium, especially from our fans. Mayenda got a boot in the stomach but got up and carried on. Jocelin was looking handy, showing speed and tidy passing. In the last minute we survived another Oxford long throw and then five minutes of added-time were announced. Jocelin cut through and put in a low shot that wasn’t far wide of the right post. It ended 0-1 and Luke won the Emirates Player of the Match Award – what a cup-run he’s having.