It's still very early days
in the season but this week's match against Exeter has the potential
to be one of those standout matches that mark a turning point in the
direction of our season. With Exeter third and us currently fourth
and one point behind, recent weeks have seen the top of the table
become somewhat cramped as the early pacesetters have slipped and the
chasing pack have caught up. But at the end of this round of
fixtures, there's a very good chance that things will be less bunched
as some drop points and others pull away. A win could see us go top
while a defeat would put us four points behind and thus the result of
this game could determine whether we remain one of the pacesetters or
slip back to become one of the chasing pack.
The latter is a position
which has become familiar to our opponents this week. While United
have spent much of their time so far this season in the top three,
Exeter have just moved into that echelon for the first time this
season after a recent run of form which has seen them win three of
their last four. Their 4-0 win away at Scunthorpe on Saturday was a
real statement of intent but having moved into the top three on the
back of such an impressive result the Grecians have now put
themselves in a position to be shot at and this is what we have to
try and do.
However, we'll have to do
it without some important players. Johnny Mullins and Deane Smalley
are both unlikely to be fit and Alfie Potter is a definite absentee.
To an extent it simplifies matters as far as team selection is
concerned. I would expect David Hunt will return to his usual
right-back position with Jake Wright and Michael Raynes in the
centre. With Potter out, Ryan Williams should come in on the right
wing in a standard 4-4-2 formation. Of course, there have been a few
occasions this season when Chris Wilder has chosen to shake things up
and caught the opposition off guard – as against
Northampton
last time at the Kassam – but with the players available a 4-4-2
would seem the most likely lineup.
And while our injuries
seem to be mounting up right now, Exeter appear to be heading towards
a clean bill of health, with Matt Oakley the only notable absentee.
He is replaced in the midfield by the returning Matt Gill who came
off the bench to feature on Saturday after signing from Bristol
Rovers last week.
Exeter have won their last
three games on the road and naturally come into the game full of
confidence. Our home form is less than impressive and Exeter are
typically a side that we struggle against at the Kassam, with last
season's
disappointing
4-2 defeat a case in point. But, as has already been
much
discussed, if this season is to be different we need to overcome
that and pick up more results at home and there have been some
positive signs that we are moving in the right direction in this
area. A win against Exeter would certainly back that up in style and
put us in a very handy position.
From the Vaults
Oxford United v Exeter City, 4th September 2007
Having taken a look back
at some of
Oxford's
greatest comebacks last week we unfortunately now remember an
occasion when United were caught on the wrong side of similar
heroics. With the pain of our recent
play-off
defeat at the hands of Exeter still raw, we appeared to be well
on our way to exorcising those demons when the Grecians returned to
the Kassam the following season. Two penalties from Rob Duffy had
given us a comfortable lead but in typical fashion we collapsed in
the second half, conceding the equaliser in injury time to draw 2-2.
You can find this and many other old OUFC matches in the VIDEO VAULT!
You wait eight months for
a 0-0 draw and then two come along at once! Saturday's draw withAccrington was our first goalless draw since February and there was a
repeat of the same scoreline just three days later as Exeter came to
the Kassam. Oxford saw more of the ball but were unable to find a way
through and had to settle for a draw. On the positive side, having
struggled to keep the goals out earlier in the season, this result
now makes it three clean sheets in a row.
It's still very early days
in the season but this week's match against Exeter has the potential
to be one of those standout matches that mark a turning point in the
direction of our season. With Exeter third and us currently fourth
and one point behind, recent weeks have seen the top of the table
become somewhat cramped as the early pacesetters have slipped and the
chasing pack have caught up. But at the end of this round of
fixtures, there's a very good chance that things will be less bunched
as some drop points and others pull away. A win could see us go top
while a defeat would put us four points behind and thus the result of
this game could determine whether we remain one of the pacesetters or
slip back to become one of the chasing pack.
We
may still be recovering from the glory
of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy, but Oxford are already back in
league action again with the visit of Exeter City to the Kassam. And
what better way to recover from 90 gruelling minutes against higher
league opposition on Wednesday than a fiercely competitive match
against a side who are one place above us on goal difference?