v Oxford United

[Shredding Green]

Here is what the Oxford United FC website says about the match squad :-

"Oxford United send a young side to Slough Town tonight for a pre-season friendly.

United’s side will be a mixture of first and second year scholars as they prepare for the start of the Youth Alliance League, with the fixtures now released for that competition. The first two games are likely to be rearranged as the U’s will be on a three week Italian tour.

United’s side tonight will combine first and second year scholars although midfielder Josh Johnson will not be involved after playing against West Brom last night and Amari Davis-Stephenson and new scholar Richard Gerrard are missing through injury.

The game kicks off at 7.45pm at Arbour Park and there are plenty of connections between the two club where former U’s winger James Dobson and midfielder Scott Davies are likely to be in the Rebels squad."

[Reading Rebel]

With no match or squad details announced I was wondering if the game was still on.

[Shredding Green]

1 hour ago, Reading Rebel said:

With no match or squad details announced I was wondering if the game was still on.

They are now available on the Slough Town website.

 

[Shredding Green]

It was a very good friendly to watch which I think Bakes found a good work out for his squad. It ended 1-1 but Slough Town had three goals disallowed for offside, the last of which seemed most unfortunate. What a field day that top striker will have if he signs!

The young Oxford United side showed a lack of self discipline. I hope they were forced to watch the England v Spain Women's Euros quarter-final match on i-player! An outstanding example of self discipline in a tense, close important match. I arrived in the bar with 87 minutes gone and thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the evening.

[Holyport Rebel]

Well that wasn't your usual run of the mill pre-season friendly was it?

Talk about incident packed !

Well worth the admittance money to see it. ( Although to be honest as I have purchased a season ticket for this season I didn't actually pay anything, but you know what I mean ! )

Guess I'll start with the ref.

Why did he have to send their no. 6 off ?

He looked a very good player, and as it was only a friendly it was a shame not to see him play more. 

It might have been a last defender pull back of an opposing player, but it wasn't exactly the worst offense of this kind I've seen by a long way, and considering it was only a pre-season friendly I thought the ref could easily have just given a yellow card rather than possibly  ruin the contest.

If the ref is that much of a stickler for the rules than why did he blow for halftime when the stadium clock hit 45 minutes, when there had been at least a 3 to 4 minute delay during that first half due to an injury, during which time both teams used the time to have a "drinks type" break to discuss tactics?   

And again he blew up on 90 minutes (probably sensibly) due to the mass 20+player "bundle" (as we used to call it at school), when there had been numerous substitutions in the second half ?

And I didn't see any yellow or red cards given on the pitch for this mass  free for all, when I think everyone would have seen at least one headbutt !

I guess the mass player confrontation at least helped team bonding ! 

Make your mind up ref.

It was only a pre season friendly.

Stick to the rules or use your common sense.

Although Edon and the Oxford no.9 were at it all during the game and there was that "incident" at the end, I thought it wasn't that sort of a game.

Great goal scored by Oxford in the first half.

Lovely play down the left, nice ball across the area by Tyler I think and a great finish from the edge of the area.   

I thought we played really well in the second half, but I thought that was greatly helped by the 11 v 10 scenario, although the Oxford Utd report of the match said that we played with 10 men too for the last 30 minutes ?

There were so many substitutions in the second half I lost count and didn't notice if this was correct or not.

If it is correct then I was doing us a disservice.

On the night I thought Gabe George was very impressive on the left.

He looked very dangerous and got into some really good positions.

(Didn't he "score" the two headed goals that were both disallowed ?)

Very unlucky.

And we had a floodlight failure as well !

I remember walking out of Wexham Park at least once in the dark when the floodlights failed, and was fully expecting to have to do the same again last night, but was very surprised and pleased when the lights came back on.

I thought with only 7 minutes or so left they would call it a day and end the match. but that didn't happen.

Just a couple of points to end with.

One of our dead ball routines needs some work.

We had a free kick on the right hand side of the pitch near the Oxford penalty area. The ball was played slowly across the penalty area to....................................nobody in a Slough shirt.

An Oxford player said " Thanks very much" and started a breakaway 3 against 1 attack on our goal which would have caused us to go 2 nil down if Northy hadn't made a great save.   

I'm sure something very similar happened in one of our other friendlies. ( Was it Ascot away ? )

And lastly a note to Fabio. ( I think it was him. )

If you are going to commit a "professional foul" by pulling someone back by the shirt, make sure you do it quickly and firmly.

Forlornly chasing an opposing player down the wing for 20 to 30 yards holding on to his shirt all the time just makes you look at bit silly.

( You had a decent performance otherwise. ) 

 

Edited July 21, 2022 by Holyport Rebel

[Ian g f]

We played with 10 men for the last hour 3 players off 2 came on

[Reading Rebel]

8 minutes ago, Ian g f said:

We played with 10 men for the last hour 3 players off 2 came on

Must admit i didn't spot that.

Must of been to even the numbers up?

[Shredding Green]

2 hours ago, Holyport Rebel said:

Well that wasn't your usual run of the mill pre-season friendly was it?

Talk about incident packed !

Well worth the admittance money to see it. ( Although to be honest as I have purchased a season ticket for this season I didn't actually pay anything, but you know what I mean ! )

Guess I'll start with the ref.

Why did he have to send their no. 6 off ?

He looked a very good player, and as it was only a friendly it was a shame not to see him play more. 

It might have been a last defender pull back of an opposing player, but it wasn't exactly the worst offense of this kind I've seen by a long way, and considering it was only a pre-season friendly I thought the ref could easily have just given a yellow card rather than possibly  ruin the contest.

If the ref is that much of a stickler for the rules than why did he blow for halftime when the stadium clock hit 45 minutes, when there had been at least a 3/4 minute delay during that first half due to an injury, during which time both teams used the time to have a "drinks type" break to discuss tactics?   

And again he blew up on 90 minutes (probably sensibly) due to the mass 20+player "bundle" (as we used to call it at school), when there had been numerous substitutions in the second half ?

And I didn't see any yellow or red cards given on the pitch for this mass  free for all, when I think everyone would have seen at least one headbutt !

I guess the mass player confrontation at least helped team bonding ! 

Make your mind up ref.

It was only a pre season friendly.

Stick to the rules or use your common sense.

Although Edon and the Oxford no.9 were at it all during the game and there was that "incident" at the end, I thought it wasn't that sort of a game.

Great goal scored by Oxford in the first half.

Lovely play down the left, nice ball across the area by Tyler I think and a great finish from the edge of the area.   

I thought we played really well in the second half, but I thought that was greatly helped by the 11 v 10 scenario, although the Oxford Utd report of the match said that we played with 10 men too for the last 30 minutes ?

There were so many substitutions in the second half I lost count and didn't notice if this was correct or not.

If it is correct then I was doing us a disservice.

On the night I thought Gabe George was very impressive on the left.

He looked very dangerous and got into some really good positions.

(Didn't he "score" the two headed goals that were both disallowed ?)

Very unlucky.

And we had a floodlight failure as well !

I remember walking out of Wexham Park at least once in the dark when the floodlights failed, and was fully expecting to have to do the same again last night, but was very surprised and pleased when the lights came back on.

I thought with only 7 minutes or so left they would call it a day and end the match. but that didn't happen.

Just a couple of points to end with.

One of our dead ball routines needs some work.

We had a free kick on the right hand side of the pitch near the Oxford penalty area. The ball was played slowly across the penalty area to....................................nobody in a Slough shirt.

An Oxford player said " Thanks very much" and started a breakaway 3 against 1 attack on our goal which would have caused us to go 2 nil down if Northy hadn't made a great save.   

I'm sure something very similar happened in one of our other friendlies. ( Was it Ascot away ? )

And lastly a note to Fabio. ( I think it was him. )

If you are going to commit a "professional foul" by pulling someone back by the shirt, make sure you do it quickly and firmly.

Forlornly chasing an opposing player down the wing for 20 to 30 yards holding on to his shirt all the time just makes you look at bit silly.

( You had a decent performance otherwise. ) 

 

What an excellent match report, HR.

Whether it was intended to even up the sides or not, on 60 minutes four subs by Slough were announced. 

OFF - Dobson, Kuhl, Goddard and Bird. 

ON - Davies, George, Lench, Benyon. 

Not sure whether it was Benyon or George but one of them didn't appear and thereafter it was a ten a side match.

Sorry if this is incorrect as Ian g f posted whilst I was writing this. You might well be correct Ian g f. I thought there were substitutions apart from those on 60 minutes but the Twitter feed only mentions those on 60 minutes. And it takes me a few matches to familiarise with new faces!

Edited July 21, 2022 by Shredding Green
Possible correction

[Neil Baker]

Elliott and Fabio came on at half time for George and Ben, then on 60 mins we took off Dobbo, Johnnie, Kuhly and Birdy, and brought on 3 players in Scottie, Lenchy and Gabe.

We would have done it at half time to even it up straight away however had got a set amount of minutes I wanted for some of the players, but 11 v 10 was not what we wanted so evened it up to 10 v 10.

Unfortunately the Twitter was wrong with the substitutions, which is understandable as lots going on.