Oxford United 0 Hull City 0
It’s a funny old world. The U’s win 3 on the bounce away from home so why did I feel nervous driving to
the Kassam for Saturday’s game? I suppose that’s the benefit of about 25 years experience….
Ian Atkins kept faith unsurprisingly in the eleven that beat Leyton Orient and there was a distinctly
optimistic feeling to the place.
Both sides made bright starts, Williams making a good run on the left and the U’s creating a good chance
which Scott could only tread on.
Hull’s first good chance came in the 8th minute when a long Williams corner misses out everyone to find
Ashbee charging in at the back post. Viveash did well to charge his shot down.
Hull’s stuttering start to the season is beginning to rub off on their players. Their passing was often
misplaced and some players were arguing amongst themselves.
In the 13th minute Savage took the ball on the right, beat his defender and fired in a shot which was
deflected, completely wrong footing Musselwhite but Oldfield was just short of being able to nod home.
Oxford were moving the ball superbly and soon afterwards Scott found Savage who laid the ball off to
McNiven whose shot was well gathered by Musselwhite who was proving to be a real thorn in the U’s side.
The switch to 3 centre halves has given McNiven a new perspective and he was attacking the right flank at
every opportunity and the Hull defence seldom were able to pick him up.
In the 25th minute Savage was gain the provider putting through Hunt who skewed his shot wide.
Hull began to find their feet, and another good Williams run and cross found Alexander who attempted
to flick/lob Woodman but the U’s goalie did well to catch.
The Tigers were arguably better than the 3 previous opponents beaten but never looking greater than the
sum of their parts. The U’s midfield was looking worthy of a higher division but the forwards looked
good individually without working as a unit.
The half’s last meaningful action saw a cross by McNiven from the by line looped to Scott at the far
post. Once again Musselwhite did well, diving low to his left. Why did Port Vale let him go?
Neither side saw fit to make any changes during the interval and again the U’s made a bright side,
Musselwhite saving well from a Scott shot after a McNiven cross.
Again Hull seemed ill at ease and on 49 minutes a hurried back pass form Anderson looked to be creeping
in at the left post but Musselwhite managed to clear.
The U’s were piling on the pressure but Musselwhite was dealing with the U’s crosses with consummate ease.
United’s best chance came in the 59th minute when a long ball down the right flank by Crosby found
Oldfield. He held the ball up well before laying the ball back to the charging McNiven who blasted his shot
over the bar with the goal at his mercy.
The moment of real controversy came in the 66th minute. Oldfield played Scott through and he had got
well ahead of his marker, Whittle when the Hull defender took his legs away with the ball an
irrelevance. Referee Beeby took his time brandishing the yellow card with the Oxford fans baying for red.
The question is were there covering defenders? For me the defence was racing back but I think Scott would
have had little difficulty in getting a shot off.
Either way this was a game Oxford could have won playing against 10 or 11 men.
The resulting free kick was taken by Ford whose shot bent round the Hull wall and was heading for the
bottom right hand corner when Musselwhite dived full length to tip the ball away.
Atkins replaced Oldfield with Omoyinmi and pushed Powell forward and Bound to left back to create a
4:4:2. Much of the link up play was lost but the little forward worried the tiring Hull defence.
Scott put Omoyinmi through but Musselwhite was again the hero for the Hull fans, punching the shot clear.
Soon after good work by Hunt and Scott gave Ford a glorious chance form 10 yards out but once again
Musselwhite had the answer, diving low to his left to complete a fine save.
Louis replaced Savage and the U’s went to 4:3:3 there 3rd formation in 15 minutes, with the former Aylesbury
man playing in the centre of the forwards.
However the final two chances fell to Hull City. With 5 minutes left substitute Dudfield was played in with
only Woodman to beat. With the entire Oxford defence screaming for offside he could not believe his own
luck and fired in immediately, shooting wide when a little composure would have given him a far better
chance.
The substitutions had broken Oxford’s rhythm and all connected with the U’s breathed a sigh of relief when
Jevons played in Dudfield who promptly shot wide.
Once again Oxford had been thwarted at the Kassam by an inspired goalkeeper. What do they feed them?


 

Oxford United Andy Woodman Scott McNiven Paul Powell Andy Crosby Matthew Bound Adrian Viveash Dave Savage Bobby Ford James Hunt David Oldfield Andy Scott Subs Dean Whitehead David Waterman Manny Omoyinmi (for Oldfield 69) Matt Robinson Jefferson Louis (for Savage 84) Booking None

Hull City Paul Musselwhite Shaun Smith Ian Ashbee John Anderson Gary Alexander Stuart Green Justin Whittle Ryan Williams Phil Jevons Carl Regan Dean Keates Subs Matt Glennon Mike Edwards Laurie Dudfield (for Alexander 77) Gary Bradshaw Simon Johnson (for Williams 83) Booking Whittle (foul) 66

Next Match:-York City Away Division 3..




            
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