Youngster can't stop U's letting in 100th goal Notts County 2, Oxford United 1

RELEGATED Oxford United conceded their 100th league goal of the season when they fell to a late strike in their final Division 2 match at Notts County on Saturday.

But the defeat, and even their failure to stop the 'ton', was overshadowed by a quite remarkable performance from Rob Folland.

The Wales Under 21 international, totally snubbed by former manager David Kemp, was given a chance by caretaker boss Mike Ford to play his first game up front for two years - and was a sensation.

He scored one goal and ran County ragged with his intelligent runs.

"Are you watching David Kemp?" sang the Oxford fans when he scored.

Some of them had tried to vote for Folland as player of the season as a two-fingered gesture to Kemp.

The youngster's all-round display - before he understandably tired - left one wondering how on earth anyone could have ignored him so much and for so long in this of all seasons when the rest of the players had been so poor.

Ford's courage in blooding some of the club's exciting youngsters, and his lack of inhibition in throwing in Folland, and making substitutions early, in contrast to his predecessor, has won the admiration of many U's fans.

So, although United lost again, to finish the worst season in their history with a 33rd defeat from 46 matches, there were for once many more positive aspects than negative ones to come out of the game.

It was a very young side which took to the pitch at Meadow Lane, with 17-year-old Jamie Brooks this time playing wide on the left, and Joey Beauchamp wide on the right, and another teenager, Phil Wilson, making his full debut in goal.

And Brooks immediately caught the eye. When he delivered a quality left-wing cross in the fifth minute, and then quickly intercepted when the ball came back his way, Folland got in a shot which was half-blocked and Beauchamp drove in a belter of a 20-yarder which flashed just past the post.

With United on top, and showing the greater appetite for the contest, other chances came their way.

From a Beauchamp corner, Matt Murphy's downward header was well saved just in front of his goalline by Darren Ward and then scrambled clear.

Brooks had already shown his ability on the ball several times and in the 18th minute he made the telling contribution as Oxford took the lead. It was great work on the left from Brooks who put his head down and ran forcefully past Andy McDermott. He then hit a low drive which Ward could only push out to his left. Folland still had a lot of work to do to score but he thumped a shot into the net from 15 yards.

Considering he's really a right wingback, and considering Ford had to send out a search party to track him down last Tuesday, it was some return to the first team.

But Folland is not lacking in self-confidence, and moments later he fired in another long-range effort which Ward pushed aside for a corner. Ward is reckoned to be one of the division's best keepers, but he dropped the ensuing corner.

County then enjoyed a spell of dominance as United were pushed back.

Wilson made a fine save from an Allsopp volley and Mark Stallard, following up, headed against the bar. Wilson recovered in time to catch the rebound off the woodwork and he was then shoulder-charged by Anders Jacobsen.

Several United players, led by Wayne Hatswell, confronted Jacobsen and made it clear he had gone in too hard on the youth team keeper and there was a brief melee of pushing inside the six-yard box. Referee David Crick booked Jacobsen, Hatswell and Stallard.

On 35 minutes, Notts County levelled following an error by Wilson. The young keeper stumbled as he tried to punch Craig Ireland's cross from the left, with Simon King trying to head it clear, and the ball only reached David Joseph who knocked it back into an empty net from 20 yards.

Joseph shot wide from the edge of the box at the start of the second half.

At the other end, Murphy and the impressive Beauchamp fired in shots, but they were hit by a typically cruel piece of luck in the 82nd minute.

Hatswell looked to have won the ball, but was penalised for a foul in a central position 25 yards from goal.

Three County players shaped to take it. But it was top-scorer Stallard, whose free-kick clipped off the head of a player in United's wall and gave Wilson no chance.

It was Stallard's 23rd goal, and the 100th time Oxford's net has bulged in the league this season.

And the over-riding emotion of most United fans?

Thank God that season's over!