Joey ends United goal drought

By Jon Murray THEY weren't quite swinging on the crossbar, but it was the next best thing.

Oxford United's players had every reason to be ecstatic after breaking their goal drought and earning a well-deserved derby win at the scene, in the past, of some of their wildest celebrations.

Joey Beauchamp was the one who at last put the ball in the net, after eight hours and 42 minutes, and from that moment the U's never looked back.

More organised under Denis Smith, with each player knowing exactly what was expected of him and producing it, this Oxford team worked themselves into the ground to come up with the result they desperately needed to halt their slide down the Division 2 table.

The transformation in one week under Smith has been remarkable. Inevitably, that seems like a criticism of his predecessor Mickey Lewis, whose intentions were admirable because he got the team playing good passing football. But without decent strikers, they were getting nowhere.

Signing Craig Russell, on a month's loan from Manchester City, could prove a vital piece of the jig-saw. His pace gives the midfielders and defenders the option of playing the ball over opposing defences or into space, and he has good control. But Smith also got United to close down so quickly that Wycombe never had the space or time to create chances. Everything they did was in a hurry, and looked untidy.

Yet it was the goal which proved the chief catalyst as United earned their first victory of the millennium to climb out of the bottom four.

It came in the 26th minute and owed everything to new signings Russell and Nigel Jemson.

Jemmo won a challenge on the right deep in his own half, Russell held the ball up skilfully, fed Matt Murphy and he played it to Beauchamp who tried to run through two defenders.

And it was then that United got that bit of luck that has been conspicuously absent in recent weeks. The ball ricocheted off the defenders and fell to Beauchamp, who ran on and shot low past keeper Martin Taylor.

Before then, Wycombe had looked the livelier side and only a smart save by Paul Lundin prevented Andrew Baird from converting Sean Devine's left-wing cross in the seventh minute. Lundin also got down smartly to smother a 22-yard shot from Keith Ryan and soon after Jason Cousins sliced wide from a good position after the ball dropped invitingly to him from Steve Brown's looping centre.

Lundin had not looked entirely happy with some of his clearances and the reason became evident after half an hour when he signalled to the bench to come off, complaining off a foot injury.

That brought Derby's Richard Knight in for his second appearance but if he was worried that he might have a similar experience to his debut - a 5-0 drubbing at the hands of Bristol Rovers - those fears soon wore off.

United defended with vigour, Steve Davis and Phil Whelan impressive in repelling every attack, and in front of them, Peter Fear and Paul Tait competed for everything, closed down quickly and, when they got the ball, distributed it neatly.

The entire United side looked compact and they played as a unit.

Beauchamp was getting back well to make tackles and just before the break, he created an opening by charging down a clearance and firing over a cross which Wycombe just managed to clear. The composition of the midfield meant Murphy was wide on the left which didn't seem to suit him in the early stages, but he got better as the game wore on.

United had a let-off when Michael Simpson delivered a cross behind their defence, and Brown, coming round the back at the far post, headed just wide before clattering into Knight. Both men needed treatment.

Yet the visitors were relishing being able to counter-attack with menace for a change, Russell proving a luxurious outlet, and they looked much the more dangerous team as they repeatedly bombed forward towards their massed fans in the Roger Vere Stand.

Russell smashed in a shot which Taylor saved by his near post, and Fear fired in a 25-yarder before Beauchamp, tackling in this game like he's never done before, dispossessed Chris Vinnicombe, charged towards goal and was unlucky to see his right-foot shot drift just wide. Paul Powell was fortunate not to be booked for bringing down Baird on the edge of the box and from the free-kick, Devine shot well over.

Steve Anthrobus replaced a tiring Jemson for the last ten minutes. From the way he put himself about, and the balls he won, he looked as though he had been told in no uncertain terms that more was expected of him.

Taylor produced a smart late save to turn aside a Beauchamp free-kick, which was intended for the head of Whelan, but was missed by everyone.

It was an agonising wait for victory as the referee decided on four minutes of injury time at the end, but no-one slackened. And when the final whistle went United's players were exhausted but rightly proud of their workrate.

And the Oxford fans acknowledged their efforts. "We are staying up" they sang.

It was different circumstances from Stuart Massey's swinging on the crossbar, but this particular victory as just as sweet.

Story date: Monday 14 February

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