SOBS: OXFORD

The Lads went up for the cup to Oxford and, while we didn't struggle to beat them, 1-0 is never a comfortable scoreline and we should really have got at least another. Trying to create the perfect goal? Probably, but one touch too many did away with that - just lowse it!

Diarra's first half penalty was enough, Roefs did everything fairly comfortably, I lost count of the number of times Mundle was fouled, their keeper made a string of standard saves, but hey - job done and we're in the next round, which will do very nicely, thank you 

With Wednesday's ref admitting that, after seeing it during the break, he should have given us a penalty just before halftime it makes you wonder 1) why VAR didn't give him a shout, or 2) he didn't give us a soft one in the second half to even things up. Apparently he was at it again at Villa Park. Time for a break, Mr Kavanagh?

As Monty the dog was on the bus - FA Cup - he had to be a lucky mascot...or so we thought before the bus breathed it’s last at Wetherby. Well, that gave us the chance for breakfast and a read of the paper before the replacement arrived, only for something on the M1 to halt the traffic - and all thoughts of Sunday dinner in Bicester. We'd have got wet anyway. Outside as well as in. 

Arriving at the Three Quarter Stadium as we awaited the second pitch inspection, folks were photographing our buses - and as we were on the top deck, we could see 95% of the pitch. Tempting, but we went in as the team news arrived.

Roefs

Hume Mukiele O'Nien (c) Cirkin

Geertruida Diarra Le Fee

Talbi Isidor Mundle 

..and a bench of Ellborg, Sadiki, Mayenda, Rigg, Brobbey, Jones (J), Angulo, Jocelin (Ta Bi, I think), and Whitaker. 

A decent lineup, so we drank all the Prospect (local) and Smith's, chatted with Rob about the car catching fire in the pub car park, and decided that those without tickets could use our bus's top deck for a fiver. Safely in the seat, I was next to one of the Lads who'd been on the van roof for the COVID game. 

Thankfully in the stripes, we defended the Fence End and kicked off to a rousing chorus of Red n White Army as the home fans banged a drum. Let's see how we set up. As it turned out, central midfield was a pretty fluid area, with Hume and Geertruida joining Diarra and Le Fee - even Mundle spent a wee while there, and Hume occasionally came left to allow Cirkin to bomb forward. Luke tried some fairly adventurous long ones which generally found their target as the pitch played absolutely fine. 

On 11 minutes there was a well observed minute's applause for Joey Beauchamp - local boy, 428 games for the U's.

We went down the right quickly and Issy fired into the side netting at the second time of asking, but Roefs made the games first save, punching away on 19, and Mundle was off down the left to drag a shot across and wide. Oxford's first corner was comfortably dealt with by Roefs - as were their next four. Luke produced some good defending to halt a breakaway, although apparently the TNT commentary team thought he was "sneaky."

Don't you just love biased commentary? If Luke's sneaky, what's Van Dijk?

Gerty blazed one way over on 25, then Enzo did likewise with a free from a similar position after he was brought down. Goal, please, Lads - and we got one just after the half hour. Some clever play got Cirkin into the box, and when he tried to turn away from his defender, he was knocked over. Looked pretty obvious to me, 100 yards away. Enzo deferred responsibility to Diarra, whose cleverly disguised shot rolled in to the net to the keeper's left while he dived the other way. Lovely pelanty, as we say.

The next action was a tackle by Le Fee near halfway that brought a card, although replays (aren't mobile phones great?) showed that he won the ball. Hume's, soon after, was fair enough as he blocked his man on the touchline. A desperate toe-end prevented us getting in when a second goal looked on the cards, then we had a bit of fun with their number 4, Vaulks. Mundle was fouled when tracking back in front of our fans, their player got upset and we subjected him to a bit of gentle taunting.

He told us to eff off, and got booked. Dafty. 

Nearly as Dafty as their 17, who fouled the same player in the same place. It wasn't the last time in the half, either, as he was clobbered in the two added minutes as well 

Worth the lead? I'd say so, but a second would have been really nice.

Half time was livened up by the appearance of David Rush - 92 FA Cup final for us and subsequently close to 100 games for Oxford - and a Red Kite. 

No changes for either side for the second half, and Mundle was off again almost immediately, laying it inside to Enzo only for the shot to be blocked. Issy must have been watching Brobbey with envy, as he tried to play that way a few times - but he'd not had enough Weetabix to succeed against their big defenders. Very big defenders. 

Mind, when one of them pulled him down it was our man who got booked! Weird, these referees, man. 

Talbi was making his presence felt down the right and got it across to Mundle but it was a comfortable save. Our favourite Moroccan then hit a belter from 25 or so that was tipped over, and soon after a corner from our right was knocked back in and eventually dropped to Hume on the edge. The angled low volley was perfectly executed but scrambled round the keeper's left hand post.

Another foul on Mundle gave us a free kick on the left which was belted into a defender and left him poleaxed. Bless. A few minutes later, with 25 left, on came Mayenda and Sadiki for Issy and Diarra. Straight swaps, and Oxford brought three on but it was one of ours that nearly changed things. Nice play got the ball to Mayenda in the box, and his low shot on the turn brought a corner on the left. It came right to the back where an unmarked Diarra headed goalwards only to see it pushed round the post. He was first to Hume's corner, which was played deep, but headed it well wide. 

After another standard save by the home keeper, some high ones towards our box kept the defenders on their toes, and Oxford ended a wee bit of pressure by hoofing a shot way over. 

With ten to go, Ta Bi replaced Talbi (keeping the songs simple) and had a few promising runs down the right, although he did try to beat his man a second time when a ball, or direct run, into the box would have been a better choice. Plenty of dribbling ability, though - a Jewison Bennette for 2026?

Our fans, desperate for that second goal, really turned up the volume as they roared the Lads forward. A boot in Eli's guts just outside the box was ignored, we came back at them but, again, took a touch too many and couldn't get the shot away. Five extra minutes were announced, Ta Bi baffled his way past a couple of defenders, cut inside and shot low with his left peg - a yard wide of the near post. 

Then the sun came out, the ref ended it, and we were through. Not great, but good enough by quite a way- as comfy as a 1-0 can be, probably, as we exerted our control much more after the break. The Lads applauded the fans, Luke did the "ooooAY" bits, and we turned our thoughts to tomorrow's draw. During the adverts on Corrie, I believe. 

Man of the Match? Oxford and TNT will almost certainly give it to their keeper 'cos he made eight saves. As for us, while Oxford's delivery into our box was pretty poor, Roefs dealt with it all calmly. The defence all had a go at getting forward, we controlled most of the play in midfield without looking deadly, and showed some nice touches out wide. 

Le Fee for me, but with a special mention to Luke, who organised the defence, and led the side, very well.