Chips with everything

From the Rage Online newsdesk Saturday, January 24th, 2009  

Crawley Town 0 Oxford United 1

A thoroughly professional performance from Oxford United left Steve “who, me?” Evans spitting sour grapes and blaming everyone but himself for his side's slump to defeat. At least his shoulders are large enough for all those chips that he's carrying. United started the game strongly, with Craig Nelthorpe and Yemi Odubade almost creating openings, and then James Constable latched onto a long ball from Billy Turley, but his chip over Simon Rayner drifted wide of the post. This was followed by a long-range Nelthorpe shot that went straight at Rayner, but in the opening exchanges it was Oxford who looked the likelier to score. Crawley started to come into the game as their wide men saw more of the ball, but debutant Damien Batt had a solid game at right back to keep the dangerous Jon-Paul Pittman quiet. Just before the break Shane Killock pulled his hamstring making a tackle.

United began the second half with intent, and Yemi had a powerful shot saved by Rayner within the opening few seconds. Eight minutes into the half former-U Simon Weatherstone pulled the ball wide of an empty net when even he should have scored. Two minutes later Crawley almost took the lead when Rob Matthews powered a header towards goal, but Turley did brilliantly to get his fingertips to the ball and turn it over the bar. United got the winning goal just after the hour, when Adam Murray picked up the ball on the edge of the Crawley penalty area and shot hard and low past Rayner to spark wild celebrations in the away end. Lewis Haldane had two excellent opportunities to increase the margin of victory as United hit Crawley on the break, but his first effort went high and wide and with his second attempt, a few minutes later, he tried a chip that was easy for Rayner to grasp. Nelthorpe also had a couple of chances to extend the lead, his first a hard, low cross across the goal that eluded everyone, and his second saw him hesitate when he should have shot, and the moment was gone. United defended valiantly at the other end to keep Crawley at bay, and the final whistle was greeted with jubilation both on the pitch and in the terrace, and sour grapes in the home dugout. That's five league wins on the bounce for United, and should they be able to overturn their five-point deduction they look to have the momentum to make a serious assault on the play-offs.

Chris Wilder made three changes of personnel to the side that beat Forest Green Rovers on Tuesday, and also a change of system. Chris Carruthers rejoined the side after suspension, playing as a sort of left wing-back in the first half, and a more conventional left-back in the second period. Batt made his debut at right-back, while Yemi started up front in place of Ricky Sappleton. The first substitution came at half-time, when Eddie Hutchinson replaced the injured Killock. Hutch actually had a very good game in a combative midfield. A minute before Oxford scored Haldane came on for Yemi, while right at the end Ricky Sappleton replaced Nelthorpe to help hold up the ball.

The referee today was Darren Sheldrake, the villain in the middle when United lost at Salisbury City on Boxing Day. He had a much better game today, as can be realised by the fuming splutterings of Evans in his post-match interview, although he very harshly booked Constable for a challenge on a Crawley defender, meaning Beano will miss Sunday's home game against Lewes. The attendance was 1,603, with 544 packing the away terrace. Don't Yellow and Blue make a lovely combination?

The three points lifts United up to ninth place, just one point off the play-offs (for the purpose of this report we're going to assume that Oxford won't lose five points, just to be uncharacteristically optimistic). Crawley are fourth, just one point ahead of United. However, Oxford's goal difference is significantly worse than many of the clubs around them, and United have also played more games than the majority of those challenging at the top, so it's probably too early to be getting carried away. Burton Albion remain 14 points clear at the top, although they were held to a 1-1 draw at home by 14th-placed Altrincham. Second-placed Histon's game at home to Grays Athletic was postponed because of a waterlogged pitch, while Stevenage Borough went third following a 4-2 win at Salisbury City that plunged the Whites into the relegation zone. Torquay United are in fifth place, and were busy losing 1-0 at home to Coventry City in the FA Cup today. Sixth-placed Cambridge United, who Oxford visit this Thursday, lost 2-0 at eighth-placed Wrexham last Thursday. Kidderminster Harriers are seventh after they lost 1-0 at 18th-placed Barrow.

Northwich Victoria continue to prop up the Conference table after they lost 3-0 at 13th-placed Weymouth this afternoon. Lewes are just one place above the Vics following their 1-0 home defeat by Mansfield Town, leaving the Stags in 15th place. Third-bottom Forest Green Rovers drew 2-2 at 10th-placed Rushden & Diamonds last night, with Michael Corcoran scoring Rushden's second. Woking moved out of the relegation zone thanks their first home win in four months, a Joel Ledgister goal giving them a 1-0 win over 16th-placed Ebbsfleet United. In a mid-table game of nothingness, Eastbourne Borough beat York City 2-1. [@news]2451[/@news] [@opponent]crawley town[/@opponent]

This entry was posted on Saturday, January 24th, 2009 at 12:00 am and appears under 2009, News Items.

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