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| Ceesay Scored Hereford's First Goal |
A second report from Oxford City, this from Sevenoaks Bull.
Each summer when the forthcoming season’s fixtures are published, I always go through the away fixtures to see which one’s I could get to, the loose rule of thumb being within a two hour drive of home (for a comaprison, Edgar Street is a 4 hour trip each way). Now back in the days of the Football League or even the Conference, there would be a dozen or so, with trips to places like Woking, Farnborough, Aldershot, Gillingham, Margate, Dover, Colchester and Southend to name a few. But as we ply our trade in the NL North, finding somewhere within 2 hours of home is a bit more of a challenge. This season, I alighted on games at Brackley (which I doubled up with collecting a new car in Milton Keynes), Leamington, Needham Market, Kings Lynn and Oxford City. For reasons I can’t recall, I couldn’t get to Leamington, so my last away trip this term would be to Oxford.
The fixture was slated for Saturday, the 12th of April, so either a balmy spring day or the last vestiges of a cold wet winter. As it turned out, it was the former, so I set forth from Sevenoaks at 11.40 am, with a view to getting to the Dreaming Spires of Oxford City’s ground, hard by the A40 Oxford bypass, in good time for a pre match beer. First I had to fill the car up with 86 litres of superunleaded and then hit the road for what should’ve been no more than a ninety minute journey. I arrived at ten past two. What is it about Saturday lunchtimes on the M25? Where I live to the M40 is a bit like going from 4 o’clock to 10 o’clock on a clock face and it should take 40 minutes . It took an hour and 50 minutes on Saturday. The M40 bit? A little more than half an hour.
Anyway, I had made it in good time. I had pre booked a parking space using OCFC’s very efficient ticketing site and was ushered into a field on the opposite side of the road to the ground. The ground itself, well the MG stadium has 3G pitch and lies on flat ground. Unlike a certain other stadium in Oxford (been there too, and the Manor) it at least has 4 sides but its a struggle to describe the colleaction of structures which surround the pitch as a stadium. There’s no coherence about it, but that gives it a certain charm. At one end is a large open area behind which is a large clubroom; down one side is a ‘main stand’ with 5 tiers of seating, next to which is a building which contains the dressing rooms. At the other end is a part covered terrace which housed our supporters, and along the far touchline are three separate structures , some open, some covered. We’ve played at worst places this year - Brackley and Needham Market spring to mind.
The 3G pitch looked tidy and things looked set for a good game., one we have to win against a team who are apparently ‘already on the beach’. The teams came out to a good cheer, us in Black and Red, Oxford in a White with some kind of blue pattern. Ref and linos in luminous green tops, which did nothing to hide the ref’s paunch…..
After the coin toss there is a switch of ends and we are attacking to goal where our supporters are. We kick off, ball straight to Richardson who launches it forward but to no effect as Oxford just sent it straight back. The first few minutes Oxford seemed to me to be more on it, but at least Howkins seemed to be enjoying a tussle with the Oxford forward he was tasked with marking. Around 13 minutes in and another corner for Oxford who have had most of the attack in the first of the part of the game. They take short coner swinging a cross in well defended initially but not cleared and Oxford score. Poor defending really not on it, but maybe a wake up call?
Luckily, it was and our play improved such that shortly aftwards a smart move from the back released Ceesay who went on to score. 1-1. We keep applying the pressure and more corners follow, but for a team with nothing to play for, Oxford keep finding a way through our midfield to launch attacks. We get to half time even, but Hereford getting on top.
Players seemed to drift out aimlessly to begin the second half, with Oxford appearing first and a minute or so later Hereford - no doubt Caddis having a few extra words. The early part of the second half sees Hereford broadly on top but it’s a little bit bit slow. It’s like both teams kind of lost interest at the halftime. After 55 minutes an Oxford free kick on the left loops in followed by lots of head tennis and the ball ends in the back of the net, but offside. Up to that point the most exciting thing that’s happened so far was watching a red kite indolently flying around the ground…
A freekick results in a corner to Hereford which is defended but shortly after the ball gets loose in the Oxford box, keeper spills it and Campbell scores. Can we put our foot on the gas and win this game? We’ve got 30 minutes.
The rest of the game saw Hereford keep the pressure on, with effort coming from the whole team. Oxford tried but really couldn’t break through and as the clock ticked down Caddis brought on subs and we managed the game out. A great team effort and a great showing in the support - attendance described as “whopping” and I’d guess more than half were Bulls fans.
I left the stadium easily, got to the car park, no issues getting out and was home at 6.45 pm - an hour and 40 minutes after leaving. A great day out and we’re still oin the mix for the play offs. COYW!!