Oxford United now know the players who are going to take them through to the end of the season, as the January transfer window closed at midnight last night. During the month there was only one departure, with John Dempster[@player]Dempster, John[/@player] joining Kettering Town on a one-month loan. Chris Hargreaves was in talks with a League club, and Conference rivals Kidderminster Harriers had also expressed an interest in the midfielder, but in the end he was unable to agree terms and he remains at Oxford. Transfer-listed goalkeeper Chris Tardif also remains, as no club came in for him, while Andy Burgess had been linked with a move to Leeds United, among others, but there was no movement anywhere for him.

On the other side of the coin, United brought in six new players, five of them on loan. The only “permanent” signing (in so far as anything is permanent in this crazy game) was Latvian striker Kristap Grebis[@player]Grebis, Kristaps[/@player], who joined from Metalurgs, initially until the end of the season. Coming in on loan at the start of January were defender Georges Santos[@player]Santos, Georges[/@player] from Brighton, who joined also until the end of the season, but whose injury at Woking could see him ruled out for two months or more, and midfielder Danny Rose[@player]Rose, Daniel[/@player], from Manchester United, who signed for one month, but who yesterday decided to extend his stay at Minchery Farm until the end of the season.

At the end of last week, young midfielder Gregg Coombes[@player]Coombes, Gregg[/@player] signed on a one-month loan deal from Cardiff City, and he was joined on Tuesday by Michael Corcoran,[@player]Corcoran, Michael[/@player] a teammate of Coombes' from Cardiff's reserves, for whom he was the captain. Corcoran, like Coombes, has yet to feature for the Bluebirds' first team, and he has also signed up for one month. The final incoming player joined yesterday. He is experienced midfielder Martin Foster[@player]Foster, Martin[/@player], who signed from Halifax Town until the end of the season. Foster has already played, and scored, against United for the Shaymen this season, and was presumably signed in the belief that Hargreaves was on his way. With Greavesie staying, that gives Jim Smith plenty of options in the middle of the park, especially once Carl Pettefer regains fitness.