Oxford United 1 Aldershot Town 1

Jack Shoemark

A tough week for a variety of reasons ended on a low as United failed to take 3 points at home for the sixth time this season. A first half Adam Chapman goal was the only bright spark of a poor first half whilst Aldershot’s Adam Mekki produced the only notable event of the second – unfortunately for Oxford, it was the equalising goal.

After Tuesday night’s events at Plymouth, Chris Wilder made three changes. Peter Leven, James Constable and Tony Capaldi returned in place of Lee Cox, Tyrone Marsh and Jake Forster-Caskey. Tom Craddock returned to the match day squad after a recent rib injury. United started with a 4-4-2 formation with Sean Rigg and Constable combining up top with width provided by Liam Davis and Alfie Potter.

A week on from the tragic news of Mitchell Cole’s death, the whole ground including the travelling away support from Aldershot rose to hold a minute’s applause in Cole’s memory before kick-off. The sombre atmosphere stayed throughout the first half as neither side took a stranglehold on the game. Aldershot showed why they have a reasonable away record as they soaked up United pressure and launched the ball forward at any opportunity. The Shot’s featured two former Yellow’s in their starting line-up; Anthony Tonkin and Danny Rose, and it was Tonkin who provided the first opportunity for the home crowd to get off their feet. A challenge best described as ‘robust’ on Alfie Potter left the wizard floored and Tonkin yellow carded.

Aldershot’s front two of Danny Hylton and Peter Vincenti weren’t causing any major problems in the Oxford defence but were rather irritating Jake Wright and Michael Raynes. When Hylton hit the floor in the 22nd minute after a challenge from Wright, there may have been a case for a penalty but the referee thought not and awarded a corner. The first slight opening on goal was to fall to Oxford, a Chapman through ball bounced between Constable and Shots keeper Jamie Young, Beano was first to the ball and managed to lift it over the advancing Young but only wide of the empty goal. It was a sign that perhaps United could be close to taking first blood. Minutes later, Davis and Rigg managed to square the ball for Constable who was wrestling with three Aldershot defenders, his efforts paid off as he laid the ball back for Chapman to hit a crisp shot with his weaker left foot into the bottom corner of Young’s net from around 20 yards. The rest of the half rather petered out with little worth writing home about.

At 1-0, it was key that Oxford looked to grab the game by the scruff of the neck and make home advantage count. They didn’t and Aldershot seemed to grow in confidence through this. The diminutive figure of Rose began to pull the strings in midfield and Hylton had his side’s first attempt at goal as he headed a free kick wide on the hour mark. Despite the away sides emergence as an attacking threat, it was the Yellows who had the next opportunity, Rigg escaped down the Aldershot right but his cross for Constable was collected by Young before the onrushing striker could get there.

As the game headed towards its conclusion, United began to sit deeper and deeper in their own half with only substitute Craddock and Constable venturing beyond the halfway line. It was clear for all to see that inviting pressure was asking for trouble and in the 85th minute, Mekki provided it. The Reading academy graduate picked up the ball on the left hand side after a stray Peter Leven pass , cut inside and curled a fabulous right-footed shot up and over Clarke into the top corner of the net to bring the scores level.

The goal was a sucker punch for Oxford as they had looked to be clinging to a scrappy 1-0 victory but instead found themselves having to look to hit back. Simon Heslop went about it the wrong way, having been sold short by Craddock; he clattered into Mekki and saw a straight red card. The referee’s final whistle wasn’t very long after and the U’s were left to reflect on what might have been but perhaps in truth wasn’t deserved.

Tom Craddock and Simon Heslop both entered the fray from the bench in place of the tiring Liam Davis and Alfie Potter who limped off. It saw Heslop put out on the right hand side in his now secondary position but killed United as an attacking threat on that side.

The referee was T Harrington, taking charge of his first Oxford United fixture. He booked Rigg for simulation, Leven for a number of niggly fouls and Tonkin for stopping Potter. Heslop’s red card probably was deserved but looked harsh on first viewing. 5761 were in the ground with 344 coming from Aldershot. The result sees United remain in 18th place on 25 points, still only 8 points off the playoffs but perhaps more worryingly only 7 points above the relegation zone.

Leaders Gillingham won again, this time at Rotherham with two goals from Deon Burton. Immediate chasers Port Vale fell to a surprise defeat at home to Chesterfield but Cheltenham and Bradford closer their own gaps with victories against Torquay and Northampton respectively. At the bottom, Barnet drew with Wimbledon as Bristol Rovers slipped into the relegation zone after defeat at home to Dagenham. Plymouth beat York 2-0 whilst Wycombe and Morecambe drew 2-2.

United’s opponents on Wednesday in the FA Cup 2nd Round Replay, Accrington, play on Sunday afternoon at Burton.

NB: I’m normally the Northern Correspondent but after 14 games without seeing Oxford win, I decided to return to the United Stadium for the first time since December 2010 (the last time I saw us win) in the belief that fate exists. Clearly it doesn’t. 15 games and counting…