Post-Match Thread and Ratings Oxford 2-3 Southend United

[davewebbsbrain]

Two decent tackles in the game - Deegan got sent off for one and Timlin pulled up for the other. Apart from that it was the non contact sport that the football authorities seem to desire. I hope someone buys Bentley a drink for digging us out at the end with a big save. The two loanees up front have better movement than were used to, but don't have the Southend work ethic yet! Oxford were pretty dire - if PB had played a proper central defender, I don't think they'd have got 2.

Hang on, according to some, Deegan is an idiot for making that tackle and getting sent off. Are you saying it was a good tackle and the ref made a mistake?

 

[Bobby dazzler]

Still in shock

 

[meerkat54]

Sweet result with 10 men most of the game. Have not felt this good for weeks !

 

[ChicagoShrimper]

Have I come to the wrong site? I was trying to get to Shrimperzone but all I see here are positive and upbeat posts?:smile:

 

[meerkat54]

Have I come to the wrong site? I was trying to get to Shrimperzone but all I see here are positive and upbeat posts?:smile:

Yeah you got redirected to the happy zone ! lol:hilarious:

 

[Suffolk Shrimper In Dorset]

Barrett MOM with a 10. Didn't play but it was clearly his fighting spirit influence that made the difference. UTB:smile:

 

[Austin the Shrimper]

Wow.. What an afternoon. Extremely pleased I went to this one now. We made a couple of poor defensive errors for the two goals and although Deegan's challenge wasn't a good one, the ref wasn't gonna give anything until the players and fans complained, then he came back and gave him a second yellow. But to be honest we still looked comfortable with 10 men. Lovely diving header by pigott, both of the new guys seem to be a lot more mobile but the game passed Cassidy by a bit. To be fair we should give them time. Brown changed it up and it worked.. BBBC coming up with the winner sending us home happy.. Also some heroic defending by all, bWilliams.. Actually played really well today, and one amazing save by Bentley when it looked to be going in to break our hearts... Alas for a change it was our day. Now let's keep it going.. Phil brown and the boys looked as happy as us fans and the end.. Think we all needed today UTB

 

[greyerfox]

This game defined what is meant by sea-saw emotions. So down when there was no AB to nod the opening goal from one of those many corners in the first part of the first half. We go behind, then get level followed by a red card. Then to cap it all Ox score on half-time. Terrible time to concede. But back we come with a Pigott special and then BBBC scuffs a winner. Heroics in defence and the team coach home is awash with Becks and team bonding. (GD sitting alone and introspective?)
As others have said, this could be a defining moment in the season. The confidence must be excellent after today and the new lads will feel the love. Now for Pompey.................

 

[davew]

v good, Brown got it right for a change, seem play better away

 

[RootsHallRoar]

What a fantastic result!! Wish I'd been there to see it. I haven't enjoyed reading an Official Match Thread after the game as much as that in a long time. So many posters having to eat their words. COYBB! :smile:

 

[davew]

Barrett MOM with a 10. Didn't play but it was clearly his fighting spirit influence that made the difference. UTB:smile:

pardon, how do you work that out ?

 

[davewebbsbrain]

pardon, how do you work that out ?

You have a lot to learn about this site

 

[Gt Yarmouth Shrimper]

You have a lot to learn about this site

Amen to that.

 

[geoffmundo]

Who knows what the score would have been if we had finished with a full 11!

The new lads will need time to gel, we now have a very strong squad, some of the tactics may still be a bit odd, but no one can now doubt Phil's passion - getting abused by Oxford fan too!

Good to see the positive tweets from Clifford throughout the afternoon too!

 

[Barry.C]

Terrific result, well done our lads and very well done Brownie. Going with the 2 youngsters up top, staying with the 2 youngsters at the back, very boldly sticking with 2 upfront when down to 10 men , and bringing on Bazza at the right time. Thats pretty good management and just maybe the boldly going for it approach will take a stranglehold in Phils psyche? Plus achieved without Barratt who would have caused havoc from the 8 corners we had?

 

[Jedi Shrimper]

Brilliant win. 3pts. Come from behind despite being down to 10. Scored 3 goals. EPIC.

The live thread makes for pretty funny reading now, especially when Corr comes on....

 

[tottenham541]

Great win and how good was it listening to it on the radio with the 2nd half right end to end stuff and could of easily finished 5-5, bentleys important save at the end was the winner for us:thumbsup:

 

[Tommy's Mooney]

This game defined what is meant by sea-saw emotions. So down when there was no AB to nod the opening goal from one of those many corners in the first part of the first half. We go behind, then get level followed by a red card. Then to cap it all Ox score on half-time. Terrible time to concede. But back we come with a Pigott special and then BBBC scuffs a winner. Heroics in defence and the team coach home is awash with Becks and team bonding. (GD sitting alone and introspective?)
As others have said, this could be a defining moment in the season. The confidence must be excellent after today and the new lads will feel the love. Now for Pompey.................

Sea, sea, sea saw emotions!

I'll come clean. At 11.3O this morning I was sat in my (rented) north london flat wondering what to do with the rest of my day. I initially dismissed going to the game on the grounds of poor weather, financial difficulties and the likelihood of another Wycombe.

Fast forward 2.5 hours and I' m outside oxford station waiting for the number 5 bus pretty much resigned to missing kick off. Some kind Blues spot myscarf and realise they're in a 5 birth cab but are a party of merely 4.

Lo and behold I was early. Froze my teets off alone but was ultimately delighted to have ignored my aforementioned reasons for not going

Utb

 

[Bromley Blue]

Wow.. What an afternoon. Extremely pleased I went to this one now. We made a couple of poor defensive errors for the two goals and although Deegan's challenge wasn't a good one, the ref wasn't gonna give anything until the players and fans complained, then he came back and gave him a second yellow. But to be honest we still looked comfortable with 10 men. Lovely diving header by pigott, both of the new guys seem to be a lot more mobile but the game passed Cassidy by a bit. To be fair we should give them time. Brown changed it up and it worked.. BBBC coming up with the winner sending us home happy.. Also some heroic defending by all, bWilliams.. Actually played really well today, and one amazing save by Bentley when it looked to be going in to break our hearts... Alas for a change it was our day. Now let's keep it going.. Phil brown and the boys looked as happy as us fans and the end.. Think we all needed today UTB

Agree with this.

Both sides looked decidedly shaky at the back today so despite our horrendous scoring record of late there was always going to be goals in this one.

Binnon-Williams made a few errors early on but grew into the game and made some vital blocks, interceptions and clearances that saw us over the line.

Thompson started in similar fashion but sadly didn't improve as much as his defensive partner. I don't know the details of Barrett's injury yet but let's hope he can step in to sure up the defence soon enough. Some leadership at the back would really have helped today and made it more comfortable.

That said, take nothing away from the lads. Every single one of them put everything into that performance and it was the sort of game which reminds you why you support your local side even if enduring League Two football.

It was my first game for a while and how we've missed Ben Coker. Definite candidate for MOM as most of our good attacking play came through him or David Worrall who was also a real threat on the right. Worrall had the beating of his man constantly throughout the first half and Oxford had to resort to hacking him down just to cope.

My take on Deegan's sending off was that it was a definite foul. Whether the offence was bookable is up for debate but the ref had made a rod for his own back already by flashing yellow cards very early in the game which set his standard.

Deegan's first booking was needless. A cynical foul with Oxford on the break but we had plenty of cover and they weren't looking that threatening anyway. With the first booking within the first 15 mins or so he was gonna be walking a tightrope for the remainder of the game. I said at the time to my gf that it was far too early for that player to be booked and we might well be in trouble later on. He's got to learn to reign it in when on a card especially that early in the game. The only black spot on a great afternoon.

Despite being down to 10 men I felt at halftime that we could still win the game. Oxford had been as poor at the back as we had and were making our normally toothless attack look threatening. The goal before half time was a real kick in the teeth coz I felt we'd had the better of the half overall.

Piggott took his goal superbly to get us level and from then on the remainder of the match was a superb advert for League Two football. Constant end to end football and you couldn't take your eyes off it.

When Barry Corr came on you could tell he was up for it. Winding up his marker with little digs and throwing himself into challenges as the sole man up front and our only real out ball from a barrage of Oxford attacks.

Our goal lead a charmed life in the second period and if the game had ended 4-4 no one could have complained.

Let's hope we can follow up today's result and performance with 3 points down at Fratton Park next week. And hopefully keep 11 players on the pitch.

Up the Blues!

 

[Somerset Ex-TTB]

We won, so no 15 pages of Shrimpermoan. All good.