Northampton Town Supporters 3 Raging Fever 7

Match report by Jon Brown

Oxford United fans? team scored an impressive away victory in a fiercely contested match at Dallington Park, Northampton. Dominating the early exchanges, the Fever opened the scoring when Steve Fuller crossed from the left for John Matthews to continue his impressive recent notching form. Steve then latched onto a sublime cross-field ball from Dan Curtis and ran into the box to beat the keeper and open his account for the afternoon.

Dan was provider again as a ball over the top of the defence allowed Gary Silver to slot home, and before quarter of an hour was on the clock Oxford were four goals up as Steve?s header glanced a long Pat Wehmeier throw over the stranded keeper. The game then settled down and only sterling work from Gary Butler in the Fever goal and the well-marshalled defence prevented the lead being cut. Oxford continued to create chances, though, and just before half time the Town defence failed to clear a corner allowing Steve to bury the loose ball for his first-half hatrick and a 5-0 interval lead.

Pat Wehmeier clears the danger

The first half was marred by one of Northampton?s forwards, who played in an extremely unsporting and aggressive manner throughout, culminating in getting himself sent off for pushing RF midfielder Alan to the ground in an off-the-ball incident. Good riddance – players like this have no place in fans? football matches, though Fever allowed Northampton to replace him to keep the teams level.

The Cobblers found their feet in the second half, and they opened their account after a mistake by Gary Butler in the Oxford goal, and scored their second shortly after as the Fever defence was being run ragged. Just as it looked as if the large deficit could be clawed back, however, a Dan Curtis corner eluded everyone in the middle and Gary Silver ghosted in at the back post to score his second of the game.

Gary Silver nets Fever’s sixth goal

This settled Oxford nerves, and despite another Northampton goal, due in no small part to the increasingly windy conditions, and some further shaky defending, Fever held on to win comfortably. The scoring was wrapped up with undoubted Man of the Match Steve Fuller heading in his fourth goal after good work from Gary Silver.

RF team: Gary Butler, Geoff Carter, Pat Webster, Andy Hill, Pat Wehmeier, Dan Curtis, Alan, Neil Wakefield, Steve Fuller, Gary Silver, John Matthews.

Sub (not used): Jon Brown

Goals: Matthews, Fuller(4), Silver(2)