Karl Wins Latest Struggle of the Robinsons
Morecambe travelled all the way from a very wet Lancashire to Oxfordshire today to visit the Kassam Stadium for the first time in six years. But let’s start again with Manager Stephen Robinson’s thoughts after Morecambe’s home draw against League One leaders Plymouth Argyle last Saturday:
“I thought we were excellent, probably our most complete performance of the season. The way we passed the ball was back to what we do. Saturday’s result came after three straight defeats in League One and the Shrimps responded by putting in an impressive performance against the high-flyers. You’re going to lose games at this level but you have to put performances in and we haven’t done that, we haven’t been ourselves, we haven’t pressed properly, we haven’t passed the ball. I thought there were some outstanding performances. But what we did, we took the game to them, we had real belief, we pressed and we didn’t look like a side that had lost three games. (Plymouth) have done brilliant this season. They’ve got a real good shape and system behind them, they’re consistent with their selection but I think for the neutral watching that today nobody would have told you who was top of the league.”
Let’s also mention Cole Stockton’s winning of the PFA League One Supporters’ Player of the Month for September. Very well done sir – and very well deserved too.
Going back to today, in previous meetings, the Shrimps haven’t performed particularly well against the Town Of Dreaming Spires’ EFL club. They have played thirteen games against them altogether (one in the FA Cup which United won), drawn six and lost five. Today, they started the game on the back of three defeats and just a single win in their last five League One matches. Oxford, on the other hand, have won both of their last two league fixtures and only lost one of their previous five; winning the rest as well. This fine form had led to them being in the lowest of the Play-Off positions: sixth in the table – prior to today’s contest. Morecambe found themselves twelve places lower. This afternoon, the Shrimps faced another opposition Manager who has been struck-down by Coronavirus in recent times. Today was the first time in three weeks and four fixtures that Karl Robinson has been well enough to take charge of his team after being taken ill with the virus. Summing-up the fact that the pandemic is still very much with us, he said last Thursday:
“I feel fine now. I was a bit tired after today’s training but that’s to be expected and I am really looking forward to the game now. I want to thank everyone on the staff and all the players because they have all been brilliant and taken on that little extra bit of responsibility while I was away, but that’s why we employ good people who want to help others. I watched the three games. The first one I was exhausted after, but that was the early days when I was struggling with the illness. On Saturday it was much better and then by Tuesday night I was just frustrated not to be there in person because I felt fine.”
As far as today’s clash in particular was concerned, he added:
“I hope a lot of fans come back to see us on Saturday because we are playing well at the moment. It’s not going to be easy, Morecambe are well managed; we did a coaching course together a while back and I’m pleased to see Stephen doing well there. Basically we have the same squad to pick from that has won the last three matches and now it is up to us to keep that going. Hopefully we can get another win and the fans go home happy with the performance and with the result.”
Namesake Stephen said of the task facing his men today:
“You can’t forget what you’re really good at, sometimes results make you forget why you were successful, relatively successful early on in the season, and I thought we got back to that on Saturday. It’s now a chance to maintain that against another very good footballing side. They’ve got some very good players, an ex-player of mine Alex Gorrin, some Northern Ireland internationals Mark Sykes and Gavin Whyte, (Matty) Taylor up front, they’ve got good players throughout the team, I could name them all. Karl has built that team over a period of time and probably what we’re trying to emulate really. We’re trying to get to that stage where we’ve got a squad as strong as him, we’ve got an identity and a style like Oxford, and it’s a good club to aim for really.”
In contrast to the weather at home, it was both sunny and dry in Oxford before and during the game. Both teams Took The Knee in front of the odd three-sided stadium’s fans and the Yellows enjoyed the early possession. Visiting goalkeeper Jökull Andrésson spilled a cross from Nathan Holland after just two minutes only for his defence to come to the rescue and boot it clear. Jamaica international Greg Leigh made a brilliant tackle on Mark Sykes with four minutes gone only for Adam Phillips to gallop up the field and try his luck only to have his effort deflected for the first corner of the match which the same player wasted yet again by over-hitting the ball. Morecambe Captain Anthony O’Connor then made another key interception in the seventh minute to concede the U’s first corner. With the sun in their eyes, the visitors’ defence continued to be the busier of the two but Wes McDonald had a punt at goal from all of twenty-five yards after about ten minutes. To be honest, it was miles away. Ryan Cooney then headed a ball down for Jonah Ayunga who then attempted to play-in Callum Jones, who just couldn’t quite keep his effort down – the home goalkeeper collected it easily. This was after thirteen minutes. Steve Seddon then put a lovely cross into the Morecambe penalty area only for nobody to take advantage before the ball found its way back to him moments later. His effort when well placed, however, was brilliantly blocked by Ryan Delaney for another corner which came to nothing. Phillips then wasted a chance for the visitors from a free-kick by hitting his effort straight into the wall after seventeen minutes. With Ayunga showing signs that he had the beating of left-back Seddon, though, Morecambe forced another couple of set-pieces which Phillips took to no effect before twenty minutes had been played. Ryan Cooney took a wild shot at goal after 22 minutes as the Shrimps were beginning to have a greater share of the play. Cole Stockton – constantly double-marked as is the norm these days – made a delightful headed flick to Jonah shortly afterwards but the chance also came to nothing. United struggled to put meaningful attacks together until the visitors conceded a corner after 28 minutes. It was taken long; the static Morecambe defence failed to respond as Elliott Moore headed it back where it had come from to see Matty Taylor flick it on at the near post for the onrushing Seddon to head the ball home unchallenged. It was yet another poor goal to concede to add to the litany of others the Shrimps have given away on the road in recent times. Alex Gorrin then tried his luck for the hosts after 32 minutes with a curling shot which missed the target. Then the Yellows had a half-hearted call for a penalty after 35 minutes and – as the home team’s pressure continued – Morecambe’s Icelandic International loanee goalkeeper made a good save from Holland shortly afterwards. Wes won a corner after forty minutes which Phillips took quickly to no effect yet again. With about three minutes left until half time, McDonald tested home custodian Simon Eastwood with a tremendous strike which the goalkeeper palmed away quite unconventionally. Just before the break, Cole the Goal managed to slip his marker and put in a header which Eastwood saved well. But that was as close as the visitors came during the first period. Right at the death, Oxford had the final say as Holland came close again but their opponents trailed back to the Dressing Rooms once again ruing their failure to concentrate from set-pieces.
Oxford also started the second period on the front foot. But the visitors had the first priceless chance of the half when Ryan Delaney somehow managed to fail to turn a perfect cross into the net from just three yards out. Greg Leigh had sent the ball over from the left and it was turned right into his path by the home goalkeeper when Ryan was completely unmarked. The visitors soon took advantage of this howler and a simple ball over the top saw an exposed Andrésson bring-down an onrushing Taylor as he advanced quickly on goal. The experienced James Henry let the visitors off the hook, though, with a truly dreadful attempt to convert from the spot. It was hardly the best way for the Yellows’ veteran – who was playing his two hundredth game for them today – to mark the event because his shot wasn’t even close as it went into orbit over the bar. Morecambe had the next chance then but Cole seemed to have left his shooting boots at home when he missed with a couple of half-chances. But he didn’t miss on 54 minutes, though, when he walloped a truly fantastic volley past Eastwood from twelve yards as Cooney played the ball into him from the right. This was Cole’s thirteenth goal of the campaign and it was another absolute cracker. Ayunga then danced his way through the home defence a few minutes later but his pass to Cole resulted in an easy take for the home goalkeeper after 72 minutes. The visitors were well on top at this juncture.
But Karl Robinson shuffled his pack with a couple of changes after about seventy minutes – and they soon paid-off. Another lapse in concentration by the visitors saw Taylor nod a long cross back into the path of an unmarked Sykes, who beat Andrésson to the ball to head it home and restore the U’s lead with seventy-three minutes on the clock. The Yellows played possession football for some time after going back in front. Stephen Robinson shuffled his pack as well to try and get back into the game. But with three minutes left, Seddon found an on-side Taylor with a clever backheel in the away penalty area and Oxford’s top goal scorer of the last two seasons deftly lobbed the ball over an advancing Jökull to put the result beyond any further doubt.
Morecambe weren’t good enough today. This was their fourth away defeat in a row and they need to learn – quickly – that home form alone won’t keep you in any Division in the EFL. Stephen Robinson’s latest Block of Five matches thus ended with just one point from a potential fifteen – five short of the minimum he has calculated is required to keep Morecambe in League One. In the table that actually matters, the Shrimps ended the day in nineteenth place in League One. They are level on points with twentieth-placed Charlton – who thrashed Doncaster four-nil today – and Shrewsbury (who drew 1-1 at Lincoln) to lie in the topmost of the relegation positions in the Division. Crewe were mauled 1-4 at Gresty Road and Fleetwood drew at home. The Shrimps’ next away game at Highbury against the Cod Army thus takes on an ever-greater significance as both Lancashire clubs face a struggle to maintain their status as League One clubs.
Finally, forgive me for indulging myself but I’d like to share with you some good news which emerged from Oxford this week. THE TOM PATERSON COLLECTION is out now, published by Rebellion (OX2 0ES) – ISBN 978-1-78108-940-8. This has some of my own Watford Gapp scripts in it plus a few words from Yours Truly about what it was like to work with the world’s greatest living comic illustrator- which Tom indisputably is – from my point of view. Harmless fun for all the family. Get your copy now in time for Xmas…
Oxford United: 1 Simon Eastwood; 2 Sam Long; 4 Jordan Thorniley; 5 Elliott Moore; 6 Alejandro (Alex) Gorrin Rodriguez (18 Marcus McGuane 70’); 9 Matty Taylor (19 Daniel Agyei 90’); 10 Mark Sykes; 17 James Henry; 26 Herbie Kane; 27 Nathan Holland (21 Gavin Whyte 69’); 42 Steve Seddon.
Subs Not Used: 31 Kie Plumley; 7 Ryan Williams; 14 Anthony Forde; 23 Billy Bodin.
Morecambe: 20 Jökull Andrésson; 3 Greg Leigh; 4 Anthony O’Connor (C); 6 Callum Jones (23 Freddie Price 82’); 7 Wes McDonald; 8 Toumani Diagouraga; 9 Cole Stockton; 15 Ryan Delaney; 17 Jonah Ayunga (27 Shayon Harrison 85’; 18 Adam Phillips (25 Alfie McCalmont 73’); 21 Ryan Cooney.
Subs Not Used: 1 Kyle Letheren; 2 Ryan McLaughlin; 22 Liam Gibson; 31 Scott Wooten.
Ref: Lee Swaby.
Att: 8,766 (228 from Morecambe).
