PREVIEW – Oxford – Cobblers Past

Year Founded: 1893
Nickname: The U’s or The Yellows
Major Honours: Football League Cup: 1985-86, League Division Three: 1967-68 and 1983-84, League Division Two: 1984-85.

About Oxford United

In 1893, a meeting was called by a local resident named Dr Robert Hitchings in the Britannia Inn, who formed the amateur club “Headington FC”. The club had a small name change to Headington United back in 1911 after the club merged with Headington Quarry, who was set up in 1907. It wasn’t until 1960 that the club was granted their current name of Oxford United that is familiar to us today.

Two years later, in 1962, Oxford were invited into the Football League at the expense of Accrington Stanley, who resigned following the folding of the original club. It only took them three seasons to gain their first promotion, after finishing fourth in the 1964-65 season. They won their first Third Division title during the 1967-68 season, despite being a football league club for only six years. After relegation in 1976 back to the Third Division, the club remained there for seven years, with low mid table finishes a regular occurrence between 1977 and 1981. In 1984, Oxford seemed to be getting their act together, as they achieved back to back promotion to Division One, as well as League Cup trophy win in 1986, classifying this era of Oxford United as the Golden Era.

Despite a rich vein of success, from the years of 1987 to 2004, they remained nearer to the bottom part of the pyramid after enjoying their brief few years in Division One. In 2004 though, the Football League reformed, meaning Oxford found themselves in League Two, which was the old Third Division. In 2006, they briefly dropped into the now National League but gained promotion back to League 2 via the playoffs in 2010 with Chris Wilder at the helm. Today, they find themselves a stable League 1 club, after gaining automatic promotion in 2016 alongside the Cobblers and Bristol Rovers.

Blackpool 0 Oxford United 0 – League One

It was a game of few chances, but Karl Robinson’s side have now lost just one of their last seven matches.

As for Blackpool, they remain mid-table but are now six points shy of the play-offs.

The first half was a low-key affair, with opportunities at a premium. Blackpool’s CJ Hamilton came closest, but his effort crashed against a post just before the interval.

The Seasiders came out with more purpose after the break and Hamilton must have been ruing his luck when he was denied by the woodwork once again.

Hamilton tried his luck from distance and it deflected off an Oxford defender and looped up onto the crossbar.

The visitors offered precious little in the first half but rallied late on.

Substitute Olamide Shodipo saw an effort easily gathered by goalkeeper Chris Maxwell, but the stopper excelled late on when he tipped John Mousinho’s header onto a post to preserve a point.

Crewe Alexandra 2 Northampton Town 1

The home faithful saw the Alex get off to the worst possible start as they were caught out by a quick free-kick from which Ricky Holmes edged Keith Curle’s side ahead in the second minute.

But Owen Dale equalised for Crewe in the 53rd minute and they piled on the pressure after Joe Martin’s dismissal, with Wintle driving in the winner in the fourth minute of added time.

Holmes stabbed in from close range after Sam Hoskins’ low cross over the six-yard box and the Cobblers held that lead with some dogged defending, restricting Crewe to long-range shooting in the first half.

Fraser Horsfall dragged an effort wide from a free-kick, which took so long to take that referee John Busby issued Martin with a yellow card for timewasting.

Crewe looked sharper at the start of the second half and when Charlie Kirk floated in a cross from the by-line, Dale dug out a shot off the turf which flew into the far corner.

Oli Finney wasted a great chance to put the home side ahead when he blasted over from 12 yards.

But Northampton were up against it when defender Martin got his marching orders in the 75th minute after picking up a second booking.

Crewe pressed their advantage and Kirk hit the far post with an angled shot before his lobbed effort was headed off the line by Hoskins.

Northampton were hanging on in the closing stages, with goalkeeper Steve Arnold excelling as he pushed Tom Lowery’s shot around a post and Mikael Mandron sent a header against the crossbar from close range.

But the visitors’ defence was breached by Wintle as he fired in from six yards from Kirk’s pull-back.

Oxford United 1 Northampton Town 2 –9th October 2019 – EFL Trophy

The Cobblers focus switched from league action as they travelled to Oxford United for their second group game in the Checkatrade Trophy. Lewis Ward, Dean Bowditch, Daniel Powell, Billy Waters and Kevin van Veen all came into the Cobblers side as Keith Curle made five changes.

Daniel Powell had an early header saved by Simon Eastwood and John-Joe O’Toole made a good run into the area before his shot was deflected behind via the post by U’s centre-back Charlie Raglan in a strong start from the Cobblers.

Eastwood made a smart save to prevent van Veen opening the scoring while it needed a last-ditch tackle from Raglan to halt the run of Powell.

Oxford took the lead when James Henry’s deflected shot gave Lewis Ward no chance in the Cobblers goal. Soon after play had re-started there was a coming together that resulted in Aaron Pierre, Bowditch, O’Toole and Henry all being shown yellow cards. A cross from goalscorer Henry then bounced back off the post as the hosts nearly doubled their lead.

Ward tipped over a header from Sam Smith in first half stoppage time, having earlier made a good save from Shandon Baptiste to keep the scoreline at 1-0.

After a bright start to the second half Kevin van Veen equalised with a wonder strike, winning back the ball before curling a shot into the top corner from 25-yards.

Town were on top and Powell had a shot blocked after being played through by Jack Bridge, on for David Buchanan. U’s substitute John Mousinho then had a shot deflected behind in the home side’s first meaningful foray forward in the second half.

Aaron Pierre put the Cobblers in front on 65 minutes, the defender applying a neat finish to Sam Foley’s cross.

Powell went down in the area under a challenge from Eastwood but referee Kevin Johnson waved away the Cobblers appeals for a penalty. Powell then had to be replaced with Hakeem Odoffin coming on.

Luke Garbutt lined up a shot from distance that came back off the inside of the post as the hosts tried to rally in search of an equaliser of their own. Marcus Browne flashed a shot just wide with stoppage time approaching and the Cobblers saw out injury time to claim a win that kept their hopes of progression in the Checkatrade Trophy alive going into the final group game against Fulham under 21s at the PTS Academy Stadium in November.

They did, however, end the game with ten men after O’Toole picked up a second yellow card deep into injury time, meaning he will miss that game with the Fulham youngsters next month.