Oxford Utd 0, Blackpool 1

By Jon Murray SELDOM has silence been more deafening. Or more moving.

The one-minute tribute to Martin Aldridge before kick-off wasn't just impeccably observed. You could tangibly feel every one of the 5,179 spectators, not to mention the players and staff of both clubs who counted him as a friend, selecting their own personal memories of the young man whose life was brutally snatched away in a car crash the previous weekend.

Blackpool supporters draped a No 9 Aldridge shirt behind the Cuckoo Lane goal, Martin's own brother Peter sat in the directors' box as a guest of United, and U's fan Paul Edwards, who wears his No 9 Aldridge Oxford shirt to every home match, took part in the half-time shooting competition.

Martin's uncle and other family members were also present and there was considerable emotion in the dressing rooms, especially Blackpool's where the occupants had the most recent memories of the 25-year-old. This was Denis Smith's first game in his second stint as Oxford United manager. It was a vital relegation battle and Blackpool won the game 1-0.

Yet afterwards Smith himself was the first to admit: "We're upset about the result. but in the wider context of things, does it really matter?

"We lost a football match. But a young man has lost his life."

It was Smith who signed Aldridge for Oxford and he will be a pall-bearer at his funeral in Daventry on Wednesday.

"What can you say?" he reflected afterwards. "I got on with Martin. He was a goalscorer, and I like goalscorers. We could have done with one today."

The minute's silence followed a poignant eulogy by Peter Rhoades-Brown.

Blackpool manager Steve McMahon commented: "It was a fitting tribute. The silence was impeccably observed but I wouldn't have expected anything less." How apt it was that, in a game during which both teams had been wasteful in front of goal, the winner should come from a beautiful piece of finishing - one which Aldridge would have been proud of, from the Seasiders' top-scorer John Murphy.

He rose above Phil Whelan to head in Chris Lumsdon's right-wing cross on 18 minutes, and for United it was an uphill struggle from then on.

Smith had begun with wingbacks but soon switched to 4-4-2 when he saw Blackpool winning some of the key battles in the middle of the park.

It might have been different had Nigel Jemson not sliced high and wide when Paul Powell's cross was fingertipped on to him by keeper Tony Caig.

United might also have had a penalty when Matt Murphy appeared to be pushed in the back by Phil Clarkson as he tried to meet Whelan's flick-on at one of Mark watson's long throw-ins. Jemson shot wide with a side-footer from Paul Tait's cross and just before the break, his left-foot shot on the turn, from another Whelan flick, was saved low by the keeper.

Derek Lilley too often gave the ball away and whatever United try, it seems, they cannot get a goal.

Lilley produced a decent turn and shot from Jemson's classy reverse pass as United started to play better up the slope in the second half.

But it could have been even worse for them. John Murphy smashed a shot against the underside of the bar four minutes after the break from a cut-back by Junior Bent, who looked to be well offside when he raced forward.

To see Denis Smith on the very edge of his permitted area near the touchline, barking out instructions and holding his head in his hands as chances went begging was like going back in time.

But the crowd's reaction seemed to suggest that, although not everyone likes him, most believe he can keep United up. Smith lost patience with Lilley and Jemson (perhaps a trifle early), but their substitute replacements Steve Anthrobus and Simon Weatherstone were out to impress and put themselves about.

Weatherstone got in a shot from an Anthrobuis header which lacked power, and with 16 minutes to go came the turning point of the game.

Beauchamp, always wanting the ball and always trying to create, sent over a perfect cross and Matt Murphy, seven yards out, saw his header saved point-blank by the keeper.

Anthrobus directed another header into the keeper's arms and in injury time, United must have realised it wasn't to be their day when skipper Les Robinson connected beautifully with a left-foot volley which smashed against the inside of the post and came back into play.

United have now gone more than eight hours without hitting the target and Blackpool leapfrogged over them in the relegation zone.

But they will live to fight another day.

Tragically, Martin Aldridge will not.

Story date: Monday 07 February

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