Kai Andrews and co celebrate the winning goal (Photo: Steve Daniels)

It’s a home game, so it’s my turn to do the report. It’s been so long since we played in the Shire that I’ve almost forgotten what to do. Probably something like this:

There are people who place great store in stats: xG, touches in the box (oo-er), possession, defensive duels won, etc. For me, the only stat worth considering is the one that measures goals for and against. Whichever way you lean, Oxford beat Wigan every which way in one of the most comprehensive one-goal thrashings you’re likely to witness.

This is not necessarily a good thing. I mean, it’s obviously good that we outscored them, and it’s obviously good that we dominated the game. What possibly isn’t so great is that despite all that, we won by only one goal, were far too profligate in front of goal and, on another day against a better side, we might not have won.

After all, this is Oxford United we’re talking about, and we came perilously close to throwing away this game despite the statistical dominance. It’s great that we didn’t, but if Fraser Murray hadn’t had a brainfart and gone in studs up on Jack Currie to be justifiably shown a straight red card, who knows what the outcome would have been.

I mean, it’s academic because Murray minted the moment and did the walk of shame, allowing the U’s to go on and win the game, but you know what I mean, don’t you? Never mind.

Wigan came to Oxford lying rock bottom of League One without an away win to their name. And on that showing, it’s no surprise. They came to contain and for large parts of the game it was a successful strategy, keeping United out until just before half-time, when Michał Helik played a one-two with Latics keeper Joe Whitworth before lashing home from close range.

Helik gives United the lead (Photo: Steve Daniels)

The visitors packed the centre of the field, allowing United to use the width at their leisure. Siriki Dembélé was so often the outball, frequently found by Currie and Ciaron Brown on the left. Dembélé’s direct running had Wigan back-pedalling but without much real threat. On the opposite flank, wunderkind Mo Missanga had less joy but was nevertheless productive and helped keep the Latics pressed back deep into their own half.

Playing in front of a crowd of just 8,605 – the lowest home league crowd since Wigan were last here in February 2024 – the U’s swept forward in wave after wave of delightful attacking football. All that was lacking was the end product until Helik’s intervention from a Tyler Goodrham cross following a short corner, for the defender’s first goal of the season.

It was the breakthrough that United needed. If the sides had gone in at the break still in deadlock one could see Wigan coming out after the interval with their tails up. As it was, the Yellows started the second half in the same vein and were looking utterly dominant.

Which is why it came as no surprise that the side’s inability to capitalise came back to haunt them as the Lancs side scored with their only shot on target in the entire game. And it all stemmed from a self-inflicted series of errors in United’s back line.

First, Helik – otherwise superb – played a ball to Kai Andrews – otherwise superb – in a congested midfield and he was too easily dispossessed by Wigan’s only real dangerman, Christian Saydee (who readers with a better memory than mine might remember scoring the winner against us at Portsmouth in March 2024). Saydee drove forward, with Missanga and Dembélé both missing opportunities to close him down. He then drove in a shot from 25 yards that swerved and bounced past Jamie Cumming for an inevitable equaliser.

Christian Saydee fires home the equaliser (Photo: Steve Daniels)

Now, there are question marks against Cumming for not doing better with the shot, but with the benefit of replays and the bias that comes with liking our number one, I think any criticism of the keeper is misplaced. Yes, he had a poorish game at Mansfield and was arguably responsible for the Stags’ goal, and yes, for the second game running he miskicked a clearance straight to an opposition forward. But those errors notwithstanding, he shouldn’t be blamed for failing to keep out a pinpointedly accurate shot that he was at full stretch for.

Anyway, goals change games and for a moment it looked like Saydee’s strike had given Wigan the impetus to come out of their shell and take the game to United. That is until Murray’s moment of alliterative madness. It was a rash challenge to make anyway; Currie was going nowhere and was penned in on the byline on halfway. But to go in studs up, miss the ball and smash into the defender’s shin was just bloody irresponsible, and if I were the Wigan manager (and just to clarify, I’m not) I’d be chewing out my player, not blaming the referee for making the correct call.

Referee Emily Heaslip shows Fraser Murray a red card (Photo: Steve Daniels)

From that point there was only going to be one winner. Yes, to their credit Wigan still looked to attack and occasionally found themselves in promising positions on the edge of the Oxford area, but they never really looked like scoring. United, on the other hand, looked dangerous every time they broke forward, with Dembélé, Goodrham, and substitute Aidomo Emakhu all spurning good chances.

The winner came from a genius bit of play from skipper Cameron Brannagan. His spot of an unmarked Dembélé in the Wigan area, coupled with a brilliant piece of execution to get the ball to him, was the brightest move of the game. Dembélé kept his composure to pick out Andrews, whose first time finish secured his first goal for the U’s and the deserved three points. With Luka Lynch’s superb finish at Mansfield, that’s three firsts in as many goals.

Kai Andrews fires in the winning goal (Photo: Steve Daniels)

Thereafter, it was a case of how many Oxford would score against the least threatening side we’ve faced since we were last in League One. As it happens, the answer was zero, mainly thanks to Dynamo Emakhu firing over three times when well placed and Currie and Brannagan doing likewise.

Still, never mind. The game was won and those who like stats would love those little numbers that prove we’re by far the greatest team, etc, etc. (62.1% possession; 24 shots (seven on target) to seven (one); 51 (fifty-bloody-one) touches inside the oppo box to 11; nine corners to one; 533 passes to 333; and so on and on and on).

Yep

So, while this was a most pleasing performance and result, it was also frustrating. The team could, and should, do much better. It was arguably beneficial that we were playing a mostly ineffective Wigan side, because the next two games – at home to third-placed Bradford City on Saturday and then top-of-the-table Stockport County on Tuesday – are likely to be a lot harder.

That’s not to be churlish. I loved the attacking football and I loved the three points and United’s overall dominance. But Aaron Ramsey himself recognised in his post-match interview that there is plenty of room for improvement and we would hope that will be forthcoming imminently.

Meanwhile, we’re seventh in the very tight table with games in hand on all the other sides in the division. Indeed, should we win those two games we would be above Stockport in pole position. Of course, life ain’t that simple but, for now, let’s enjoy the football, enjoy the position we’re in despite embargos and the off-field bollocks, and enjoy watching the goals coming from all over the pitch.

UTFO