Oxford United 2 (Steele, Bound) Exeter City 2 (Flack, Walker (pen))

Just for the record, I saw the whole of this one, for those who missed part of this, you missed one of
the more enjoyable games you’ll see this season. So, go and buy a Season ticket!
United reverted to the line-up that beat the Scum One Nil, so Savage replaced Whitehead and Hunt, Hunter,
who will have every right to feel aggrieved. Martin Thomas returned to face his old teammates for the
first time and celebrated by playing far better than he ever did in a yellow shirt.
Unsurprisingly United made a confident start with a through ball being played to Louis whose powerful shot
forced Miller to palm away for a corner. Immediately after a dinked ball was played over the top to Basham
but he skewed his shot wide.
Oxford were completely in control but not for the first time they found an obdurate barrier in the form
of the goalkeeper. How Kevin Miller is on non-contract forms escapes me.
On 14 minutes a clever diagonal ball from Ford found Basham who fired in on the half volley from 25 yards.
The result was a brilliant acrobatic save from Miller to tip away.
As time wore on Exeter came increasingly into the game, and in contrast to many sides visiting this
season did so by playing passing football, and working extremely hard.
Thomas fired in from 25 yards and was unlucky to see his shot deflected behind for a corner. Exeter were
learning how to cope and then control the U’s midfield. The challenges were coming in thick and
fast; Walker was booked for scything down Ford and Coppinger was lucky to escape the same fate for
following through on Waterman.
On 41 minutes a good run and cross by Louis on the right found Savage in the centre. His shot was
blocked, and the ball rebounded out for Robinson unmarked on the right but he completely fluffed his
shot.
The final action of the half saw Louis finding Basham on the left of the box. Good positioning by Claire
Sweeney’s former boyfriend allowed him to catch the shot easily.
With something like 3000, “Fans, “ queuing for Arsenal tickets outside, both sides contributed to a
stirring second half.
Hunt fired wide when a pass to McNiven would have been a better option, before play quickly switched to
the other end as Pettefer blasted over.
Miller saved brilliantly from Hunt’s shot, before Crosby’s shot hit the post following a corner.
Woodman proved that there were two great keepers on view by acrobatically tipping Flack’s downward header over the
bar.
A minute later, in the 58th minute a similar move gave Exeter the lead. A corner from the right found
Flack, who rose above Andy Crosby to head powerfully into the bottom left corner, for his usual goal
against Oxford, despite Woodman managing to get hands to the ball.
United rallied as Louis met a ball in from McNiven on the right. Getting ahead of his marker he had the goal
at his mercy but ballooned his chance his chance way wide.
Steele replaced Savage and Scott, Waterman as the U’s went to 4 3 3 to chase the game, and the gambit paid
off in the 77th minute. A superb ball from Louis found Scott on the left, who fired in a shot form 12 yards.
Miller was able only to parry the ball out and the ball was recycled to Steele who gleefully scuffed the
ball home to score on his much delayed debut.
United pressed hard for the win as Steele crossed from the right for Hunt to shoot over. Hackett was
torturing the Grecians’ defence with raw pace with the result that Hiley was forced to trip him just outside
the box with just 7 minutes remaining. Everyone was expecting Ford to curve a shot into the bottom right
corner so it was a marvellous surprise when Bound smashed the ball into the top left to give the U’s a
deserved yet somehow surprising lead. Mobile phones buzzed simultaneously as the queue phoned friends to
confirm what had happened.
So did the Oxford players think they’d won it?
Certainly those watching thought so and one could be forgiven for thinking that the defence could hold firm
for a measly 7 minutes. Inevitably when people think like this there will always be a sting in the tail and
88th minute proved the point all too well.
Pettefer carried the ball forward with little or no threat to the left edge of the box. McNiven crucially
took a step back before mistiming his challenge giving the referee little option but to award a penalty,
which Walker put into the bottom left hand corner sending Woodman the wrong way. This was to prove to be
the last meaningful action as the fans turned their attention to exactly how long the queues were…

Attendance 7057 at the start of the game…274 of them from Exeter....Supposedly.......

 

Oxford United ANDY WOODMAN SCOTT MCNIVEN MATT ROBINSON MATTHEW BOUND ANDY CROSBY DAVID WATERMAN JAMES HUNT BOBBY FORD DAVID SAVAGE JEFFERSON LOUIS STEVE BASHAM Subs ANDY SCOTT(for Waterman 69) CHRIS HACKETT (for Basham 73) ROY HUNTER DAVID OLDFIELD LEE STEELE (for Savage 53) Bookings NONE

Exeter City Kevin Miller Scott Hiley George Pilkington Santos Gaia Andy Roscoe Justin Walker Martin Thomas Kwame Ampadu Carl Pettefer James Coppinger Steve Flack Subs Stuart Fraser Reiner Moor (for McConnell 84) Barry McConnell (for Roscoe 7) Geoff Breslan (for Gaia 54) Adam Virgo Booking Walker 28 (foul)

Next Home to Bournemouth 26th December 2002-Division 3




            
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