Yet more disappointment for United fans in what is becoming a hugely underwhelming season. This time, we were held by basement side Barnet and George Elek was on-hand to report.
There
was a certainly a sense of looming despair walking down from High
Barnet Underground Station towards Underhill last night as the
driving rain, swirling wind and icy cold conditions meant there was
no reason to predict the evening ahead to be a pleasant one. Just a
couple of weeks ago at the same stadium United played Barnet off the
park in the FA cup, dispatching them 2-0 as James Constable and Sean
Rigg’s strikes put the Yellows in the Second Round pot. Edgar
Davids offered United high praise and it seemed we had turned a
corner. Well, apparently the corner led to a dead end.
United
fielded two changes, one forced due to the suspended Lee Cox whilst
Jake Forster-Caskey made way after a lacklustre performance on
Saturday. Sean Rigg returned to his rightful position on the left
wing whilst Adam Chapman’s return meant that Simon Heslop was
awkwardly shifted out to the right wing yet again. Chris Wilder is
certainly loyal to his formations; after finally reverting to 4-4-2
he is not about to show any flexibility. Potter started up top with
Beano for the second game in a row as the back 5 were unchanged as
well.
The
game started brightly – for Barnet. Just four minutes were on the
clock when the hosts’ corner met a totally unchallenged header at
the near post from Hyde which looped over Clarke’s head into the
back of the net. The defenders looked at each other open mouthed
trying to fathom how a player could find such space in their box. It
wouldn’t be the only time in the evening. So United were one down
in the first five minutes, how would we react?
Brilliantly.
From the kick-off we won a throw-in down by the left hand corner
flag. Tony Capaldi slung one of his catapults into the six-yard box
causing havoc amongst the Barnet defence. Beano did a fantastic job
keeping the ball in play when it seemed cleared and nodded it down to
Sean Rigg to fire home from eight yards. A good strike and exactly
the reaction we needed. Now was the time to push on and get another.
But
it was the hosts who pressed on, often getting to the by-line and
putting in some dangerous crosses. In the swirling wind both Mullins
and Wright were doing a great job winning their headers, but it was
on the deck where Barnet were getting their joy. Their pressure told
and just before the half hour a carbon copy corner was headed at goal
at the near post by Hyde again. This time it was straight at Clarke
who very nearly dropped it over the line. With many of the supporters
behind the goal celebrating, United hacked the ball to safety. Cue
more confused looks being shared amongst the United defence.
The
tactics were puzzling. We were playing the ball long, which was
understandable given the wind. But their centre backs were winning
the aerial battle and Potter could not get in the game. The wing
wizard is at his best running at defenders but spent the majority of
the game either with his back to goal or trying to trap balls
skidding lethally off of the greasy pitch. Heslop was the wide man
and looked panicked every time he got the ball. Barring his set-piece
delivery Leven was nowhere whilst Chapman was doing his best to get
stuck in. We were pretty toothless in attack but it was one of
Leven’s dead balls that provided the next chance for Oxford. His
corner was met well by Rigg at the near post but his header thumped
the advertising board just wide of the goal. Just before the break
Rigg fired a shot just high and wide. The teams went into the break
level and, despite a couple of late chances, United could have no
complaints.
The
second half started much better. A hand ball gifted Oxford a
free-kick in a position reminiscent of the cross Leven put in for
Beano at the County Ground last season. It was that man Leven who
swung a beautiful ball into the box but this time it was Andy Whing
who was on hand to plant an exquisite header into the back of the
net. Last year's Fans Player of the Year (and TBFUTH
Award-winner) turned and sprinted to the Oxford fans to celebrate
his first goal of the season. Sadly Whingy’s not the quickest and
his teammates had halted his pilgrimage to the Oxford faithful before
he reached the halfway line. A great moment and 3 points looked on
the cards.
The
ensuing half an hour was absolutely dire. Oxford weren’t in the
game with the midfield duo of Chapman and Leven completely anonymous.
Clovis Kamjo was winning the midfield battle on his own, at 21 he
looks a very good player and the ball winner that Oxford desperately
needed. On a rare foray forward a Rigg cross clipped the bar but it
was all Barnet going forward. Andy Whing’s wing was being exploited
time and time again and the alarm bells should have been ringing when
Hyde nodded wide an open goal. He was adjudged to have been offside
but it was all too easy for the Bees to get around the back. Five
minutes later Whing was exposed again by Andy Yiadom whose ball found
Wright, Mullins, Capaldi and Hyde in the box. Somehow it was Hyde who
got there first and prodded the ball in. More baffled looks on the
faces of the defence, more woeful defensive organisation. Whing won’t
want to see Yiadom’s face, or heels, again soon. 2-2 with twenty
minutes for United to hold on.
Pittman
came on for Heslop, who may as well have been on the bench all half.
The last ten minutes were very open. United were hard done by when
Barnet keeper Stack caught a goal bound pass back. The in-direct free
kick was given, yet it was inexplicably from a few yards wide of the
goal when the offence had occurred centrally on the goal-line. The
chance went begging. Clarke made a good save from a long range Jon
Nurse shot. From the proceeding corner Ricky Holmes struck a first
time volley from just outside the area like a bullet. It crashed just
wide and would have been a strike to give Barnet the win they
probably deserved.
There
was time for one last chance for the Yellows to steal the points.
Rigg collected the ball in the last minute of injury time and clipped
a ball into to the box. Mullins rose highest and forced a header at
goal. It hit the top right hand post and fell towards the opposite
corner. The Oxford fans were aloft in anticipation, or because it was
a terraced stand, only to see the ball come off the opposite post and
out again. I have absolutely no idea how it didn’t go in, but the
feeling of injustice felt by the United fans as they left the stadium
was unfounded. It wasn’t a good performance and Barnet would have
felt robbed. Rigg and Mullins were probably the only players to come
out of the game with any credit, and now one of them has left the
club.
Onwards
to Northampton, but Raynes vs. an in-form Akinfenwa won’t make for
particularly easy viewing.
Follow @oufcgeorge
Follow @oufcgeorge
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