Blown aside

The main difference between the two sides in yesterday's defeat at Mansfield was that United were less able to adapt to the blustery conditions than their hosts. Whilst Mansfield generally kept the ball on the floor and played short passes, United kept on hoofing the ball forward and trying to launch long balls over the midfield which were either held up in the first half wind or blown too far forwards in the second half. David Kelly, on loan from Motherwell, opened the scoring with a scrappy goal after 29 minutes and Adam Murray, another loanee, this time from Derby, scored with a scorching 25 yard shot right on half-time. Five minutes into the second half Paul Moody converted from the penalty spot following a foul on Andy Scott, but United were unable to equalise despite going close on a couple of occasions.

With the exception of Dave Morley, who featured in place of the injured Jon Richardson, and Dave Savage, back in for Dean Whitehead, United started with the same line-up that faced Kidderminster. Whitehead replaced Morley with twenty minutes left and, seven minutes later, Jamie Brooks came on for Paul Tait.

Referee Roger Furnandiz took charge of a United game for the first time this season, and failed to show a single yellow card. The attendance was 4,916 and a match report is here.

United remain in sixteenth place, but if all the teams below us win their remaining games (they won't) Oxford could sink as low as 22nd. Thank heavens for Halifax, who had the good grace to lose 3-0 at Shrewsbury to leave a 12 point gap between themselves and second-bottom York, who went down 4-0 at Cheltenham. Plymouth didn't play and Luton took advantage to close the gap to five points by winning 2-1 at Rushden. Oxford's next opponents, Hull City, lost 1-0 at home to Scunthorpe.