OXFORD UNITED 2 STEVENAGE BOROUGH 1
Borough fell to their first defeat of the season when they went down by a single goal to league leaders Oxford United at The Kassam Stadium on Saturday afternoon. It is never easy coming to Oxford with their vociferous and capricious crowd, but this occasion was made even more difficult by a referee who made a series of erratic decisions that left the Stevenage players and management totally exasperated. Quite how James Constable stayed on the pitch after a dreadful elbow on Scott Laird will remain a mystery.
But despite the defeat it was a performance of great promise from Stevenage that just lacked a clinical end product to earn the reward it deserved. They can certainly feel hard done by after dominating the much fancied home side for lengthy periods of the game.
Manager Graham Westley made just the one change from Tuesday evening’s victory over Ebbsfleet United with Joel Byrom coming in for Mitchell Cole in a three-man central midfield.
Borough come out of the blocks with determination and almost edged in front in the opening five minutes. Oxford only half cleared a cross into their area and Darren Murphy unleashed a drive from 25 yards that Joel Byrom, in copycat fashion to his goal on Tuesday, deflected from close range. Ryan Clarke could only parry the shot and just as Chris Beardsley looked set to pounce on the loose ball Rhys Day bravely slide in to clear. It was to be the last involvement for the centre back as he was forced to depart the scene to be replaced by the experienced Luke Foster.
The game boiled over shortly thereafter when Jon Ashton and James Constable clashed in the area, the striker ending up prostrate. Amidst cries for a penalty from the excitable home supporters referee Bennett gave Borough a freekick and waved a yellow at both players. Barely a minute later Constable committed a disgraceful foul on Scott Laird, jumping into the full back, leading with his arm without any attempt to get the ball. Unbelievably the referee took no action, much to the chagrin of the Borough players.
As the game settled down again Oxford began to exert some pressure. Kevin Sandwith forced a smart save from Ashley Bayes from a 25-yard freekick, but the goalkeeper could do nothing as Sandwith floated a ball across the box minutes later for the unmarked Alfie Potter to head the home side into the lead.
Byrom almost levelled the scores on the half hour when he raced on to a cross from Wilson, but the ball bounced up awkwardly and he could only make a weak connection with his knee. Borough enjoyed their own stroke of fortune moments before the break as Constable charged down a clearance from Bayes, the ball ran loose across the goal and Potter blazed high and wide with the goalkeeper scrambling to regain his ground.
Borough were back in the driving seat for the opening exchanges of the second half. Cole raced clear, but fired just over the bar and Laird broke through the middle and spotting Clarke of his line attempted an audacious 40-yard chip – the only problem he failed to get the ball off the ground. But the best chance came ten minutes in as a deft chip from Byrom found Beardsley unmarked six yards from goal, but Clarke did well to block his diving header.
Borough were dominating proceedings and there looked to be only one side that would trouble the scoreboard, but football rarely follows the scripts and it was the home side, with a rare foray forwards who added to their lead. There looked to be no danger when Constable tussled for a loose ball in the area, but the ball feel loose right into the path of Adam Murray who buried his shot from 12 yards in the back of the net.
Borough continued to press but all they had to show for their dominance were two low shots from outside the area from Murphy, both skimming wide of the left-hand post. They finally looked to have got the goal their performance deserved when Byrom deftly chipped the ball over Clarke, only to see it crash back from the crossbar
A minute into injury time Stevenage did get their reward as substitute Yemi Odubade slid in at the far post to convert a cross from Cole, but despite pressing forward for the six minutes of added time the equaliser would not come.
STEVENAGE BOROUGH (4-5-1) A Bayes – R Henry, J Ashton, M Roberts, S Laird – L Wilson, M Bostwick, D Murphy (Sub: P Vincenti, 92), J Byrom, M Cole – C Beardsley (Sub: Y Odubade, 72). Substitutes not used: E Odhiambo, S long, L Boylan. Booked: Ashton, Murphy, Roberts, and Beardsly. |
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