They're all must-win games from now on and I've a feeling we'll beat Oxford today. After being on a good run their form has gone right off over the last three games while our own recent form (played six, won four, drawn two, lost none, goals for - 9 and goals against -1) has been good.
We're effectively in a mini league with Oxford, Sheffield Wednesday and Wycombe, and the latter two are playing away as well today so I hope for some slip-ups. Most of our rivals seem to be relentlessly winning but that can't last surely. Unlike several teams we've recently played, Oxford will be going for a win and not defending in depth and playing for time from the off so with our nifty attackers I reckon we can get some goals. Of course last Saturday far too many crosses went begging so hopefully a lot of practice on that has been put in since. I haven't heard any news about injuries in the last few days so all being well we'll have the same squad as last Saturday. Things have got a bit tasty between us and Oxford in recent times but with Johnson gone maybe that'll be different today. I'm back in Sunderland and will be listening to the game with my bubble. Match prediction: 2-1 to us.
When I met the bubblers, they were pleased about the starting line-up with Broadhead, Clarke and Roberts all in there. Pritchard was presumably injured. Again the bench looked strong and our subs have certainly served us well of late. My mates’ pre-match predictions were 2-1, 3-0 and 2-0 to us.
We started brightly but it was Oxford who had the first shot on target in the third minute forcing Patterson into making a great save as he tipped it over the bar. We should’ve scored ourselves a minute later when Stewart twisted and turned on the right of their box before crossing for Broadhead, I think, who couldn’t get a shot away under pressure. Both sides were going at it hammer and tongs, which made a change from some recent games. We won a free-kick at the left angle of their box in the fifteenth minute and though the kick itself rebounded, Matete followed up and Evans poked the ball in to put us ahead. Oxford started to put a fair bit of pressure on but their shooting was on the high and wide variety, thankfully. Matete conceded a corner in the twenty-sixth but we got it away and broke quickly with a great pass from Clarke but Roberts failed to capitalise on it. Oxford equalised in the thirty-fifth minute after they’d won a free-kick to the left of our box. When the ball came over, Moore rose to power in a header that Patterson couldn’t stop. Elsewhere Wycombe were one-up so tension descended. As half-time approached Oxford were doing most of the pressing and we were looking forward to that whistle. It remained 1-1 at the break. We needed to get control of the game again so a few of Neil’s effective substitutions would be called for before long.
When we kicked off again, O’Nien had replaced Roberts. Oxford started the brighter in the second period but we won a corner in the fifty-first minute, though nothing came of it. We were living dangerously at the back at times while not really creating much upfront so by the time the hour-mark arrived I was wondering when the next substitution would be made. I wanted to see Neil and Embleton have a go. Oxford were being allowed far too much action down their right flank and in the sixty-seventh a cross from there resulted in Patterson having to make a great point-blank save from a header. We won another corner in the seventy-second minute but it only resulted in Oxford making a break that ended in a yellow card for Matete and a free-kick in a very dodgy area. Fifteen minutes to go and we still hadn’t made any further changes. Elsewhere Sheffield were winning. We brought on Batth for Broadhead which seemed a strange move to me. Eight minutes to go and a draw was looking the best we could get from this game. Shortly afterwards Embleton came on for Clarke and I hoped for a repeat of his efforts last Saturday. We started to gain the ascendency and in the eighty-ninth minute we took the lead after nifty play in their box lead to Embleton slotting it in to put us ahead. Stewart nearly got a third shortly afterwards but I wasn’t going to carp as 2-1 would do me. Six minutes of stoppage-time were announced and I don’t know where they got that from so it was going to be nervous till the whistle went. Oxford continued to go for it and Patterson was forced into a save in the last minute but we won it 2-1.
Wycombe and Sheffield both drew so we’re back in the play-off zone and that’s a very good place to be at this point in time.
