You can’t make a silk purse from a pig’s ear, and United’s defenders certainly made a pig’s ear of this fixture. Oxford lost 2-0 to the team that was bottom of the league, and both Kidderminster’s goals were a result of appalling defending. After opening brightly and creating most of the first half chances, Leo Roget and David Woozley contrived to allow Blair Sturrock to chip Chris Tardif for the opening goal after 37 minutes. Midway through the second half, with Oxford struggling to break through the massed ranks of Kidderminster defenders, Simon Russell took advantage of terminal hesitancy in the Us’ back line to score and give Ramon Diaz his first taste of defeat in England. No matter what the pedigree is of the manager, given players of Sunday League standard he will struggle to produce a quality side, and there can be no question that he must strengthen now, starting with central defence.

Two changes were made from the side which drew at Rushden on Sunday, one of them enforced. With Tommy Mooney suspended Lee Bradbury partnered Craig Davies up front, and Rob Wolleaston took Bradbury’s place in midfield. The other change was a recall for Tardif in goal in place of Bradie Clarke. At half-time Danny Morgan came on in place of Jamie Brooks who, to be fair, was pretty anonymous after side-footing wide in the second minute. Just eight minutes into the second half Wolleaston was replaced by Paul Wanless for some reason.

The referee was Kevin Friend, but he was nobody’s friend with a performance that seemed to interpret every single tackle as a foul. However he was correct to book Barry Quinn for a tackle after the United midfielder had been left stranded after a poor pass by Woozley. Mr Friend was last in charge of an Oxford game in our 2-1 defeat at Northampton at the tail-end of last season. The attendance was 5,947, the best of the season so far at the KasStad, although it’s unlikely that many of the newcomers will be tempted back following this tepid display. A match report should, possibly, appear tomorrow, perhaps.

Oxford remain 18th in the league, while Kiddy have climbed off the bottom, going above Cambridge who lost 5-3 at home to second-placed Yeovil, despite being 2-0 up at one stage. Shrewsbury stay third from bottom even though they beat Darlington 4-0, and fourth-bottom Notts County also closed the gap on Oxford after drawing at top of the table Scunthorpe. Rushden are 20th after drawing 2-2 at 8th-placed Orient, who were two-nil down with three minutes to go (see, it can be done). Chester, in 19th place, also drew 2-2, at 7th-placed Rochdale.

Swansea, in third, opened up a seven point gap with a 3-1 win over Boston, thanks to Southend’s 1-0 home defeat by Mansfield. Macclesfield are 5th after they beat United’s New Year’s Day opponents Wycombe 2-1. The other game in the division was a 2-0 win for Northampton over Bury, while Bristol Rovers’ game with Cheltenham was postponed.