Oxford United 2 Salisbury City 0

On another freezing day, Oxford United exacted their revenge for the Boxing Day defeat by Salisbury City by beating the Whites 2-0, with both goals coming in the second half. Oxford were slower out of the blocks today than they were when beating Ebbsfleet United 5-1 on Sunday, and Salisbury were much quicker to close down and pressure the Oxford players than the Ebbsfleet players. While Oxford were taking Fleet apart, Salisbury were kicking their heels, as their game at Northwich Victoria fell victim to a frozen pitch, and in the first 20 minutes or so they did look fresher. However, they lacked the class to take advantage and as the first half wore on United started to assert themselves. Salisbury's Timothy Bond was lucky to escape with just a yellow card when he brought down Jamie Guy just before the half-hour, as Guy would have been clean through without Bond's cynical foul. Oxford thought they'd taken the lead in the 38th minute, when Lewis Haldane set Jamie Clarke free down the right, and his excellent cross was turned in by Guy, but the linesman, as he did so often in the first half, raised his flag rather belatedly for offside. A Haldane cross then took a deflection and was headed off the line, before United were denied a penalty for a foul on Haldane, the referee awarding Oxford a corner instead. Five minutes before half-time Ian Herring was shown a yellow card for a very dangerous tackle on Adam Murray that left the Oxford skipper needing lengthy treatment, but Herring wasn't in a pickle as the referee was again rather lenient.

Oxford continued to do all the football in the second half, with Guy and Eddie Hutchinson both going close, while new signing Ricky Sappleton caused some concern in the visitors' defence with a header that went over. With 19 minutes remaining Oxford eventually got the goal that they deserved; Matt Day passed low to the feet of Sappleton, who back-heeled the ball into the path of James Constable. Constable showed superb composure to take the ball around James Bittner and slot home. Two minutes later Sappleton broke clear and squared the ball for the on-rushing Haldane, but he couldn't make a clean connection and missed the open goal. With 11 minutes left Haldane was clean through on the left, but could only blaze the ball narrowly wide, with Constable calling for a cross. However, Oxford weren't made to regret these misses as four minutes later Sappleton again broke clear and this time he guided his shot past Bittner and into the far corner to guarantee the three points. While this wasn't as comprehensive as the Ebbsfleet win, it was probably more satisfying because of both the extraneous circumstances (Sam Deering's broken leg) and because Salisbury were among the most niggardly, time-wasting, and generally unpleasant teams Oxford have played recently. The stats show that Salisbury failed to muster a shot on target, and committed 15 fouls to Oxford's six.

Chris Wilder made one change to the side that beat Ebbsfleet following a knee injury received by Yemi Odubade in that game. He recalled Guy for what is likely to be his last game for the Us before returning to Colchester United, who have triggered a mid-term recall clause in his loan deal. Wilder's first substitution proved to be the match-turning one, as he brought on debutant Sappleton to replace the, again, under-performing Phil Trainer. Sappleton went on to create one goal and score another, which isn't a bad return for half-an-hour's work. With nine minutes left forgotten man Paul Evans came on for Haldane, who had just missed a couple of very good chances. Two minutes from time Guy was taken off to receive the crowd's acclaim, Matty Taylor his replacement.

Today's man-in-the-middle was Wayne Barnett, taking charge of an Oxford game for the first time. While nowhere near as bad as the chap who officiated the away game with Salisbury, he made, or failed to make, some key decisions, notably with not awarding red cards and denying United a first-half penalty. He did book nine players, four of them in Yellow shirts: Constable for dissenting United's disallowed goal, Luke Foster for a push on Herring after his horrendous tackle on Murray, Hutchinson for a foul, and Murray for another foul. Today's attendance beat the Ebbsfleet crowd to become United's best of the season so far, with 5,312 cheering United on to victory, apart from 235 wilting Wilts types.

The three points take United up one place to 11th, nine points below Torquay United, who occupy the last play-off place but who didn't play today. United climbed above Altrincham, whose home game with bottom side Northwich Victoria was frozen off. Salisbury have dropped to 18th, two points above the relegation zone. Burton Albion have gone 13 points clear at the top following their 3-1 win at 16th-placed York City. Second-placed Histon didn't play today, while Crawley Town have gone third, above Kidderminster Harriers who also didn't play, after their 2-2 draw with Woking, who remain fourth from bottom. Neither sixth-placed Cambridge United nor seventh-placed Wrexham played today, while Rushden & Diamonds remain eighth after rescuing a point with a last-minute equaliser in a 1-1 draw against Stevenage Borough, who stay in ninth place. Kettering Town, one place above United, didn't play and now have four games in hand on the Us.

Second-bottom Lewes fell to a 2-0 defeat at home to United's opponents on Saturday, Eastbourne Borough, with Ashley Barnes scoring the opening goal. Forest Green Rovers fell to third-bottom, despite not having a game today, while Barrow and Mansfield Town both also dropped one place without games. This was as a result of Grays Athletic's 3-1 win over Ebbsfleet, which has lifted the Essex side five places to 17th, while the club from the other side of the Thames estuary dropped to 15th. [@news]2437[/@news] [@opponent]salisbury city[/@opponent]