Wilder unhappy as late goal denies Oxford United victory

9:30am Tuesday 10th April 2012 in U's News Photograph of the Author By David Pritchard, Chief Sports Reporter covering Oxford United. Follow us on twitter: @oxfordmailoufc. Call me on 01865 425458

Damian Batt, Andy Whing and Asa Hall cannot believe it as goalkeeper Ryan Clarke is unable to keep out Taiwo Atieno’s last-minute effort as Torquay snatched a 2-2 draw yesterday Damian Batt, Andy Whing and Asa Hall cannot believe it as goalkeeper Ryan Clarke is unable to keep out Taiwo Atieno’s last-minute effort as Torquay snatched a 2-2 draw yesterday

CHRIS Wilder bemoaned Oxford United’s inability to kill games off as they drew 2-2 at home to Torquay United yesterday.

For the second game in a row the U’s were hit with a late goal, as goalkeeper Ryan Clarke – struggling with a rib injury – could only palm Taiwo Atieno’s shot into the net to give the ten-man visitors a share of the spoils.

A draw was scant consolation for the home side, who played exhilarating football for much of the second half.

Adam Chapman and Cristian Montano scored in quick succession to turn a half-time deficit into a 2-1 lead, but a lack of killer instinct to finish the game off was crucial.

United’s boss said: “That’s how it is if you don’t put teams to bed, because that should have been 5-1.

“Fair play to Torquay, they showed a bit of resilience at the end, but that really should’ve been out of sight going into the last ten minutes.”

There were a few boos from the home fans at the final whistle, but although United have picked up just a single point from the last three games, they remain in the npower League Two play-off positions.

Wilder felt the performance showed there was plenty to be optimistic about heading into the last four games.

He said: “You’ll always get moans and groans, but I can’t really do anything when a back pass goes short and then the keeper chucks one in.

“All we can do is try to encourage the players. I thought they were magnificent in the second half. Some of the play was absolutely outstanding.”

Wilder will hope Clarke has recovered from his injury for Saturday’s crunch home clash with Gillingham.

But there were no fitness concerns over a below-par James Constable, who was replaced at half-time by Scott Rendell for purely tactical reasons.

Wilder said: “I thought Scotty gave us a massive lift.

“I made a change because I didn’t think he (Constable) gave us anything in the first half, Scott gave us everything else.”

Comments (14)

10:58am Tue 10 Apr 12

Joe1 says...

Stop tellings us what it should have been CW!!!
It is up to you to make sure that we can do all we need to win these games. There must be something very wrong in how you prepare & which players you use where on the pitch. Really devastating result.
This leaves Crew breathing down with only goal difference keeping us in playoff's. It will be right up to the wire.

"COME ON YOU YELLOWS"
Stop tellings us what it should have been CW!!! It is up to you to make sure that we can do all we need to win these games. There must be something very wrong in how you prepare & which players you use where on the pitch. Really devastating result. This leaves Crew breathing down with only goal difference keeping us in playoff's. It will be right up to the wire. "COME ON YOU YELLOWS" Joe1

11:19am Tue 10 Apr 12

BigYellowScarf says...

Joe1 hasn't the first idea how football works. Come on you yellows.
Joe1 hasn't the first idea how football works. Come on you yellows. BigYellowScarf

11:54am Tue 10 Apr 12

northampton yellow says...

again there was no cutting edge they should been dead and buried by 80mins but again no strikers here with the finish and all these loan signings this is not right its about time new cash injection is needed and what was clarke doing i know he was injured but that was a feeble effort for there goal
again there was no cutting edge they should been dead and buried by 80mins but again no strikers here with the finish and all these loan signings this is not right its about time new cash injection is needed and what was clarke doing i know he was injured but that was a feeble effort for there goal northampton yellow

11:54am Tue 10 Apr 12

northampton yellow says...

again there was no cutting edge they should been dead and buried by 80mins but again no strikers here with the finish and all these loan signings this is not right its about time new cash injection is needed and what was clarke doing i know he was injured but that was a feeble effort for there goal
again there was no cutting edge they should been dead and buried by 80mins but again no strikers here with the finish and all these loan signings this is not right its about time new cash injection is needed and what was clarke doing i know he was injured but that was a feeble effort for there goal northampton yellow

2:12pm Tue 10 Apr 12

Taffy Duck says...

I have to ask why he keeps on picking Morgan who is clearly trying win games by himself and be the hero. He is not a team player and is no good for this situation.
I have to ask why he keeps on picking Morgan who is clearly trying win games by himself and be the hero. He is not a team player and is no good for this situation. Taffy Duck

1:58am Wed 11 Apr 12

mandate says...

4 games left 12 points to play for, still in a play-off position. Oxford United and their fans need to keep calm and carry on.
4 games left 12 points to play for, still in a play-off position. Oxford United and their fans need to keep calm and carry on. mandate

10:29am Wed 11 Apr 12

northampton yellow says...

cw keeps on picking morgan coz he likes the player cw will sign him in summer and get rid of jc
cw keeps on picking morgan coz he likes the player cw will sign him in summer and get rid of jc northampton yellow

12:40pm Wed 11 Apr 12

london_yellow says...

northampton yellow wrote:
cw keeps on picking morgan coz he likes the player cw will sign him in summer and get rid of jc
I think CW likes what Morgan can potentially deliver. He's clearly a talented footballer who brings something different to the squad. That said I think we’re all seeing and feeling what many other clubs and managers have felt… frustration. He’s reminiscent of a lower league/poor man’s Balotelli, plays for himself first and foremost. If he’s having a good game and things are going well he’ll be a great influence on the game if it’s not going his way he’ll be a destructive force. His first reaction when he gets the ball is to get his money’s worth, have multiple and often unnecessary touches before releasing it, this slows the game down and really hurt us against Torquay, especially in the first half where our tempo was flat. If he loses the ball through fault of his own he immediately looks to blame a team-mate when we’d all like to see him immediately look to win the ball back and right his wrong. If we were to gain Morgan at the expense of Beano it would be a heinous crime against the club and football (not that I think Wilder would entertain this for the slightest second). Morgan, for me, is not a player we would want to hold on to, bags of potential but will let you down far more than he’ll deliver. .
[quote][p][bold]northampton yellow[/bold] wrote: cw keeps on picking morgan coz he likes the player cw will sign him in summer and get rid of jc[/p][/quote]I think CW likes what Morgan can potentially deliver. He's clearly a talented footballer who brings something different to the squad. That said I think we’re all seeing and feeling what many other clubs and managers have felt… frustration. He’s reminiscent of a lower league/poor man’s Balotelli, plays for himself first and foremost. If he’s having a good game and things are going well he’ll be a great influence on the game if it’s not going his way he’ll be a destructive force. His first reaction when he gets the ball is to get his money’s worth, have multiple and often unnecessary touches before releasing it, this slows the game down and really hurt us against Torquay, especially in the first half where our tempo was flat. If he loses the ball through fault of his own he immediately looks to blame a team-mate when we’d all like to see him immediately look to win the ball back and right his wrong. If we were to gain Morgan at the expense of Beano it would be a heinous crime against the club and football (not that I think Wilder would entertain this for the slightest second). Morgan, for me, is not a player we would want to hold on to, bags of potential but will let you down far more than he’ll deliver. . london_yellow

1:26pm Wed 11 Apr 12

Adman says...

Just 4 games left, and how many points do we think Oxford will need to hang on to 7th spot? I reckon we need another 8, which means two wins and 2 draws from games with Gillingham, Plymouth, Southend and Port Vale. And of those, only Port Vale have nothing to play for. Saturdays match looks colossal. What do people think are chances are?
Just 4 games left, and how many points do we think Oxford will need to hang on to 7th spot? I reckon we need another 8, which means two wins and 2 draws from games with Gillingham, Plymouth, Southend and Port Vale. And of those, only Port Vale have nothing to play for. Saturdays match looks colossal. What do people think are chances are? Adman

1:52pm Wed 11 Apr 12

northampton yellow says...

if we play like we did sat we should get 3pts but if we draw and crewe beat macc lads then i think we have blown it but saying that macc lads have got league status to play for and relying on our old friend mr horton to deliever for us ha ha ha
if we play like we did sat we should get 3pts but if we draw and crewe beat macc lads then i think we have blown it but saying that macc lads have got league status to play for and relying on our old friend mr horton to deliever for us ha ha ha northampton yellow

5:50pm Wed 11 Apr 12

CamView says...

I wonder why noone is talking about Pittman. He is a talented striker and can turn a game. He was first class at Aldershot having a hand in all three goals. His other games were above average and may I suggest better than anything Morgan has offered. Is thier player Wilder does not like - as with Mat Green (27 goals this season or Jack Midson). We cannot afford to overlook players who can make a difference. One point from three games is not good enough. Mat Green was left out in the cold in the run up to the pay offs luckily he was brought back to score important goals.
I wonder why noone is talking about Pittman. He is a talented striker and can turn a game. He was first class at Aldershot having a hand in all three goals. His other games were above average and may I suggest better than anything Morgan has offered. Is thier player Wilder does not like - as with Mat Green (27 goals this season or Jack Midson). We cannot afford to overlook players who can make a difference. One point from three games is not good enough. Mat Green was left out in the cold in the run up to the pay offs luckily he was brought back to score important goals. CamView

5:50pm Wed 11 Apr 12

CamView says...

I wonder why noone is talking about Pittman. He is a talented striker and can turn a game. He was first class at Aldershot having a hand in all three goals. His other games were above average and may I suggest better than anything Morgan has offered. Is thier player Wilder does not like - as with Mat Green (27 goals this season or Jack Midson). We cannot afford to overlook players who can make a difference. One point from three games is not good enough. Mat Green was left out in the cold in the run up to the pay offs luckily he was brought back to score important goals.
I wonder why noone is talking about Pittman. He is a talented striker and can turn a game. He was first class at Aldershot having a hand in all three goals. His other games were above average and may I suggest better than anything Morgan has offered. Is thier player Wilder does not like - as with Mat Green (27 goals this season or Jack Midson). We cannot afford to overlook players who can make a difference. One point from three games is not good enough. Mat Green was left out in the cold in the run up to the pay offs luckily he was brought back to score important goals. CamView

7:18pm Wed 11 Apr 12

Mac27 says...

CamView wrote:
I wonder why noone is talking about Pittman. He is a talented striker and can turn a game. He was first class at Aldershot having a hand in all three goals. His other games were above average and may I suggest better than anything Morgan has offered. Is thier player Wilder does not like - as with Mat Green (27 goals this season or Jack Midson). We cannot afford to overlook players who can make a difference. One point from three games is not good enough. Mat Green was left out in the cold in the run up to the pay offs luckily he was brought back to score important goals.
deffo agree pittman is are best striker makes things happen i pray he starts saterday much better player than morgan! i hope him and rendall start saterday, cant wait
COME ON U YELLOWS!
[quote][p][bold]CamView[/bold] wrote: I wonder why noone is talking about Pittman. He is a talented striker and can turn a game. He was first class at Aldershot having a hand in all three goals. His other games were above average and may I suggest better than anything Morgan has offered. Is thier player Wilder does not like - as with Mat Green (27 goals this season or Jack Midson). We cannot afford to overlook players who can make a difference. One point from three games is not good enough. Mat Green was left out in the cold in the run up to the pay offs luckily he was brought back to score important goals.[/p][/quote]deffo agree pittman is are best striker makes things happen i pray he starts saterday much better player than morgan! i hope him and rendall start saterday, cant wait COME ON U YELLOWS! Mac27

12:25pm Thu 12 Apr 12

CamView says...

Just one more point on the Mat Green transfer. He is only 24 - 23 when he left us. What a stupid mistake. If Wilder cannot nurture a player like this it is very poor! It is not that as if he was a Smalley scoring one league goal in half a season.
Just one more point on the Mat Green transfer. He is only 24 - 23 when he left us. What a stupid mistake. If Wilder cannot nurture a player like this it is very poor! It is not that as if he was a Smalley scoring one league goal in half a season. CamView

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