United took another giant stride towards Division Three football next season, with a 3-0 defeat at play-off contenders Torquay United. The Us started brightly, but were pegged back after 32 minutes when a right-wing cross was bullet-headed into his own net by Paul Wanless. Before they had time to recover from this body-blow, nine minutes later, skipper Andy Crosby was shown a straight red card for hauling back Jonathon Kuffour when the speedy striker would have been clean through on goal. It was a bit harsh to consider that this would have been a goalscoring opportunity though, as just a few minutes earlier Kuffour had shot wide of an open goal, having taken the ball past Andy Woodman. United started the second half really brightly, taking the game to the hosts, but in the 63rd minute Reuben Hazell sealed the win for the Gulls with his first goal of the season. As United collapsed it took just another 12 minutes before David Graham added a third goal and left Oxford desperately clinging on to a play-off place.

Once again Graham Rix made changes to the side, bringing David Waterman back to the right back position in place of Scott McNiven, and putting Matt Bound on the opposite side as he pushed Danny Brown into midfield. Wanless started in place of Chris Hackett, while Mark Rawle started up front alongside Steve Basham, with Courtney Pitt on the bench. A double substitution at half-time saw Basham and Wanless make way, with the two wingers, Hackett and Pitt, coming on to support Rawle.

Referee Richard Beeby, who was also in charge of our 3-1 win over Macclesfield in November, is one of those officials who likes to be in the limelight, and today’s game was no exception. In addition to the dismissal of Crosby, he also showed a yellow card to Richard Walker, who was warming up as a substitute, for Walker’s objections to that decision, and later on he showed a yellow card to James Hunt for an innocuous tackle, having earlier allowed some much stronger tackles to go unpunished. The attendance was 5,114, which seemed to please the Torquay supporters. We have been (vaguely) promised a match report for tomorrow.

Despite this defeat United somehow remain seventh, thanks to an equaliser by Lincoln six minutes from time in their game against Northampton. The Cobblers are now just two points behind the Us, having played one game fewer. Yeovil lost 3-2 at Boston to leave them five points behind United, also with a game in hand. Their opening goal was scored by Simon Weatherstone. Lincoln have dropped to fifth, three points ahead of Oxford, while Torquay are fourth, just two points behind Huddersfield, who lost 2-1 at Kidderminster. Wayne Hatswell opened the scoring for Kiddy, while the Terriers’ goal came courtesy of an Abdou Sall own goal. Mansfield Town are two points and one place above United, having been held to a goalless draw at home by Bristol Rovers.

Hearty congratulations go to Doncaster Town and David Penney; their 2-0 win over Cambridge United guarantees then promotion to Division Two, just one season after winning the Conference play-offs with a Golden Goal. Hull are now eight points clear of the play-off zone after winning 3-2 at Swansea.

At the other end of the table Carlisle United moved to within two points of third-bottom Rochdale after drawing 1-1 at Leyton Orient, while Macclesfield won 2-1 at Rochdale to move six points clear of York, who play Bury tomorrow. United’s next opponents, Darlington, lost 3-2 at Southend, and Scunthorpe went down 2-1 at Cheltenham, to leave themselves both just four points above York. In the Conference, Norman Sylla scored Tamworth’s second goal in their 2-0 win over Halifax.

There was better news in the morning fixture, when Raging Fever won their second successive game, beating Barnstaple Gulls 6-0 in Newton Abbot. Gez Foster opened the scoring, and John Matthews added a second before half-time. In the second half there were two goals for former United youth-teamer Craig Wootton, and two more for John Matthews to complete his hat-trick. We hope to have a full match report tomorrow.