It was great to be back at the Kassam Stadium on Saturday as it was my first visit in a while.

I felt kind of guilty that I hadn’t been back in so long, but I was there to cheer and support my old team in their push for points.

My usual punctuality let me down, as I was hoping to get to the ground early so I could pop into the dressing room and wish the boys good luck before the massive game against Carlisle United.

The Oxford United fans were brilliant, paying me compliments as I walked into the ground.

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Honestly, it is very humbling to have such nice things said to you and I really appreciated it.

I received handshakes, hugs and kisses all day from familiar faces I hadn’t seen in a long time and I will admit I loved every minute.

One of the best greetings of the day was the one I got from the Oxford United tea ladies in the press area.

Apart from trying to force feed-me custard cream and digestive biscuits I got a massive hug from both of them.

As I am now a journalist I sit in the press area, but I wasn’t there to work – and neither was my Oxford Mail boss Mark Edwards, who was sitting alongside me.

Instead we watched the match and let our colleague David Pritchard scribble away and take notes on the game.

I was gutted about two things before kick off – the state of the pitch and the fact Callum O’Dowda wasn’t starting.

The Kassam had the best pitch in League two in my first season at Oxford.

It was always green and full of grass, so to see how it looks now is tragic.

I understand Callum was on international duty with the Republic of Ireland Under 21s last week and therefore was rested for that reason, but I was still disappointed.

There was a lot at stake for both teams, but neither team played with any fear or held back, which made for an exciting but nervous game for anyone supporting the Yellows.

It was good to see Patrick Hoban score his first goal for the club, you could see the relief pour out of him through his celebration.

I really hope for him and the club it is the start of a goalscoring run – and what a great time it would be too.

Without really wanting to single out one player and make this column into a mini match report, I have to say I thought Danny Rose was brilliant.

He just looked cultured and brought a calmness to the team when he was in possession of the ball, and his set piece delivery was top class.

If we are talking about the top class bracket then we have to mention Oxford United’s new boy Kyle Vassell’s strike for the winning goal.

From my view in the press box I was sitting right behind the strike and watched the torpedo blast into the net.

It was a goal worthy of winning any game at any level.

Hopefully it was just the appetiser of what is to come from him.

During the game I realised that I had only played with two of the Oxford United starting line-up, which was Jake Wright and Ryan Clarke.

I caught up with them both and they haven’t changed one bit.

Another person I am very pleased hasn’t changed was O’Dowda.

For a young man who is getting a lot of attention – and deservedly so – but very quickly, he still is the well-mannered, humble boy I remember.

Being grounded is a quality which will serve him well on his journey to the top.

Overall it was a wonderful day for me, catching up with good people and most importantly seeing Oxford United get a big three points.