So near, and yet…

Oxford United fulfilled their end of the bargain, but Torquay were unable to emulate the Us and so Oxford failed to get into the play-offs for the first time. United beat York 2-0 at the KasStad to do the double over the Minstermen, who played in possibly the worst atrocity of a football kit since Oxford's deckchair affair. Steve Basham opened the scoring in the third minute, steering home a Dean Whitehead freekick awarded for a foul on Deano. Exactly an hour later Basham headed home his second following an excellent exchange of passes between Bobby Ford and Matt Robinson and Robbo's cross. Alas it was to no avail as Torquay, holding a lead courtesy of former United triallist Martin Gritton, missed a penalty and then conceded an equaliser with just five minutes remaining.

Ian Atkins made two changes from the side that performed so dismally at Scunthorpe last week. Whitehead came into the right of midfield in place of the injured Dave Savage, and Basham joined the attack instead of Dave Oldfield. Oldfield came on for Basham midway into the second half and with about ten minutes left Jefferson Louis replaced Andy Scott.

Today's referee was Clive Penton, who had send Dave Waterman off at Bournemouth earlier in the season. Today he had little to do and didn't book anyone from either side. The Attendance was 6,905, the fourth highest in the division. A match report (somewhat belatedly) can be found here, thanks to Statto99.

The win left United in eighth place, one point behind Lincoln and Bury, who lost 3-0 at home to Wrexham who finished third, and with a superior goal difference to both of them, dammit. The championship was won by Rushden, who were held to a 1-1 draw at home to second placed Hartlepool. Bournemouth finished fourth after winning 2-0 at third-bottom Carlisle, and Scunthorpe took fifth place after coming from behind to beat wooden-spoonists Shrewsbury 2-1.

Joining the Shrews in the Conference next season will be Exeter City, who beat Southend 1-0 with a last minute goal. This wasn't enough to save the Grecians because of Swansea's 4-2 win over Hull which lifted the Swans to fourth from bottom. In the Second Division the final relegation place was filled by Cheltenham, who lost 1-0 at Notts County, thus giving United a second derby, along with Northampton, for next season. There was one former Oxford player on the scoresheet elsewhere, as Mark Angel scored Boston's first in their 2-1 win at Cambridge.

The morning fixture between Raging Fever and Yorkie Bars was cancelled because the away side were unable to get a team together. How crap is that?