Siriki Dembele celebrates giving United the lead (Photo: Steve Daniels)

As that great philosopher Antonio Banderas once said, ‘Expectation is the mother of all frustration’. And so it proved on Saturday.

I think that many Oxford fans, while anticipating a difficult game against a physical Cambridge side, also had the expectation that United’s winning run would be extended to three consecutive games, even more so after Siriki Dembélé gave the side the lead after just 15 minutes.

However, the U’s were unable to capitalise on their advantage and gifted the visitors an equaliser just 12 minutes into the second half, when Ben Knight in his shining armour was given the freedom of the penalty area to restore parity.

It had been, in truth, a fairly uneventful game. Dembélé had the Cambridge right back on toast throughout, cutting past him like a knife through butter to spread the play, and it was his burst past the defender that led to the opening goal.

Eastwoods Ho!

As is his wont, after cutting into the penalty area, Dembs’ lost the ball, but it was only half cleared, allowing Louis Sibley, on for Jamie McDonnell (who had suffered a nasty-looking injury after just eight minutes), to steal the ball. The crowd were busy appealing for a penalty after Mark Harris had been chopped down in the area, but with Dembélé pouncing on the loose ball to curl it into the far corner, any potential sense of injustice was cast aside while the goal was celebrated.

In hindsight, the injury to McDonnell might – depending on severity – be the most significant event of this game. The Yellows are stretched thin as it is, especially in midfield, and if the Northern Ireland international is out for some time – presumably to be replaced by Sibley – it will leave the U’s short in a key position, with Cameron Brannagan just one booking away from a one-game suspension as well. On the plus side, it could well be the door that opens the way for Harrison Bradney to rejoin the squad. The academy product having given an excellent account of himself in pre-season.

It also potentially gives Tyler Goodrham the opportunity to grab a starting place, having come off the bench to good effect in the last three games. Indeed, it was his introduction that paved the way for Oxford to beat Burton Albion, with Tyler directly involved in all three goals. United’s attacking threat also seemed to improve following his introduction on Saturday, with Tyler testing Cambridge keeper Jake Eastwood on a couple of occasions, including drawing one outstanding save from a header (I know, right).

Tyler Goodrham gets a header on goal (photo: Steve Daniels)

Unfortunately, it is at the other end where the post-match inquest will be concentrated, as once again the side were the architects of their own downfall. Fair enough, Cambridge’s pressure had been steadily increasing after half time and the U’s were getting pushed back. But the failure to properly clear the ball and then the total absence of anyone closing down Knight was, if not criminal, certainly cause to bring a civil suit against the Yellows’ defence.

Ben Knight equalises for Cambridge United (photo: Steve Daniels)

I guess one of the other things an inquest might consider is how to react when so many key players have an off day at the same time. Mark Harris was largely ineffective up front; he did have a couple of opportunistic efforts, neither of which unduly troubled Eastwood the Younger, but it was only after Gatlin O’Donkor came on that the Oxford attack looked to have some teeth. God’s teeth, indeed. New signing Kai Andrews was also unable to impose himself on the game, while Brannagan is looking bereft of confidence.

Young Mo Missanga had his first difficult match since breaking into the first team. The young winger will have (hopefully) learned a lot from his battles with Callum Perry, who largely got the better of United’s academy sensation. At his age, and with his limited experience, it is only to be expected that Missanga will be unable to replicate his usual form, and I’m sure that Aaron Ramsey and his coaching staff will be well aware that his minutes will need to be managed. In fact, I was surprised both that he started and then that he wasn’t replaced at half time.

When Missanga did come off, his replacement, Aston Villa loanee Luka Lynch, did have some joy on United’s right, but he is also young and inexperienced and, again, the club will have to be careful not to ask too much of him too soon. At least Aidomo Emakhu should be available when United return to action after this apparently interminable international break, with Jeon Jin-Woo returning not too long afterwards.

As a result of the break, Oxford won’t be in action again until a midweek away game at Exeter City in the horribly named Jersey Mike’s Trophy. We will continue to call it the Football League Trophy, even if it bears little resemblence to the competition’s original format when it was introduced in 1983 as the Associate Members Trophy.

The side’s next league game isn’t until they visit Notts County on 10th October, and the U’s aren’t at home again until 20th October, when Wigan Athletic come to town. Not only does this break destroy any momentum the team may have built up, it also makes for a very boring few weeks. It also means that United, already a game down on almost every other side in the division (bar Reading, of course), will now be even further behind the majority of League One sides, doubtless leading to fixture congestion for an already thin squad.

The hope remains that the club is true to their word (or at least the word of Dusan Bogdanovic, which is all we have to go on) that the transfer embargo will be lifted ahead of the January transfer window and that the finances will be in place to bring in some much-needed reinforcements. Of course, if the embargo isn’t lifted, it will cause greater concern than the club being unable to bring in new players…

UTFO