Oxford United 2 Lewes 1

Unfortunately, our earlier version of this news item somehow got zapped by computer gremlins, and as it's late I can't be arsed to try and rewrite the whole thing again. Basically, Lewes took the lead through a deflected shot from Joe Keehan after Damien Batt slipped. This was Lewes's first goal in eight games and it was inevitable that it would be scored against Oxford. Who thought otherwise? This was practically Lewes's only serious attack of the first half, apart from when a misunderstanding between Batt and Luke Foster almost allowed Stefan Cox to get clear, but he coxed it up and fell over with just Billy Turley to beat. Oxford equalised five minutes later when they were awarded a free kick wide on the left. Adam Murray's shot seemed to catch on the wind and sailed over the head of Rikki Banks. Banks then made a decent save from a carbon copy free kick as United piled on the pressure without ever really threatening to score.

United started the second half on top, but almost went behind when Chris Willmott was adjudged to have fouled Keehan in the penalty area. However, Turley guessed right and did well to save Elliott Charles' weak spot kick, stopping the ball on the line as it squirmed under him. Oxford had several opportunities to take the lead, with Banks saving well from Lewis Haldane, and new signing Craig Farrell and Yemi Odubade both trying their luck unsuccessfully. Haldane had a good shout for a penalty when he was bundled over in the goal area, but as at Cambridge United on Thursday his appeals were waved away. United eventually got the goal they were threatening when Foster headed home from a Craig Nelthorpe corner with eight minutes left. There was still time for Shaun Wilkinson to get sent off for headbutting Nelthorpe, and after that an Oxford win was the only realistic outcome.

Chris Wilder made two changes to the side that drew at Cambridge on Thursday, both of them enforced. Joe Burnell was still ill and was replaced in midfield by Eddie Hutchinson, while James Constable was suspended for picking up his fifth yellow card at Crawley last Saturday, paving the way for yesterday's loan signing Farrell to make his debut. The first substitution saw Yemi replace Hutch ten minutes after the break, while Matt Day came on for Farrell in the last minute and didn't get to touch the ball.

Todays's referee was Paul Melin, who was also the ref when United visited Weymouth back in September. All things considered he was probably too lenient today, allowing several nasty challenges to go unpunished, which indirectly led to Wilkinson's naughty butting. He also showed a yellow card to Murray for having the temerity to protest about a particularly nasty tackle by Cox on Batt. Today's attendance was 4,595 with just 50 in the away end.

The win lifts United back up to ninth, just five points off Torquay United in the fourth play-off position. However, Oxford have played a few games more than most of the teams above them, and so any talk of achieving the play-offs remains premature, at best. In today's other game Cambridge won 2-1 at Rushden & Diamonds, with Phil Bolland scoring the winner in the 89th minute. [@news]2456[/@news][@opponent]lewes fc[/@opponent]