Oxford
return to Yorkshire for the second time in a week with the hope of a
better outcome, as they resume their League Two campaign against York
City for the first time since the Conference
play-off final in 2010. York returned to the Football League via
the Wembley
route with victory over Luton Town, after an eight-year
non-league exile.
York's
return to the league has brought mixed fortunes, an opening day
defeat to Wycombe being followed up by a draw away at Morecambe and
an away victory at Barnet. They have gained a reputation as an
attractive passing side which is dangerous in attack but defensively
weak. It will be interesting to see how this compares with our strong
defence (albeit one which conceded
three goals in the week) and weakened attack, with Smalley and
Craddock carrying knocks and Constable out of form.
York's
exit from the League Cup in the first round left them without a
midweek fixture, so they have had extra time to recover and prepare
for the match – which could prove the difference, with the match
being Oxford's sixth in two and a half weeks. They have been
bolstered by three
new signings during the week with PFA Chairman Clarke Carlisle
the most notable of the trio. Oxford, on the other hand, are down the
bare bones, with youngsters Tyrone Marsh and David Lynn filling out
the bench on Tuesday. Hopefully some of the notable absentees from Tuesday night
were merely rested as a precaution and won't be out for too long. The
only possible new face for United is 19-year-old Daniel Boateng, on
loan from Arsenal, who could make his league debut coming off the
bench.
Of
the York team we defeated at Wembley in 2010, very few remain –
goalkeeper Michael Ingham is the only notable name from that game
likely to feature this weekend. One member of the York squad who will
be familiar to Oxford fans is Oli Johnson, who spent the first six
months of 2012 at the Kassam. He was, perhaps surprisingly, released
at the end of the season and found his way to York. He has yet to
feature for the Minstermen this season, however, so may not get the
chance to get revenge on his old club this weekend.
We
have not lost a league game against York since the final day of the
2006-07 season (six regular season matches), but they did knock us
out of the FA Trophy in 2009 – Chris Wilder's first home defeat as
Oxford manager.
FURTHER
READING: Jack
Shoemark spoke to York fan Ian Jones ahead of the match for TBFUTH.
And head over to Jack's blog for his comparison
of the York and Oxford teams.
From the Vaults
Oxford United v York City (FA Trophy), 13th January 2009
Jim
Smith had taken charge of the team for its first round victory over
AFC Sudbury, but by the time York came to the Kassam for the second
round tie, new manager Chris Wilder had been installed. After Boxing
Day defeat away at Saisbury Wilder had overseen back-to-back home
victories in the league ahead of his first cup match as U's boss...
You can find this and many other old Oxford matches on our Video Vault page.
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