Oxford Utd 1,Portsmouth 0

IT was the perfect script, Boy's Own stuff and all that. Yes, Malcolm Shotton is back.

A dramatic last-minute winner from Joey Beauchamp gave new United's new manager the ideal start.

And it was as though we were going back in time 12, 13 or 14 years to those days when Shotton was out there on the Manor Ground pitch as a player, a skipper, a leader and an inspiration.

It mattered not that his managerial experience is less than limited or that at 40, he is still so young.

Oxford United's fans believe in him, and with belief that strong you can do anything.

If he can get the players to believe as well - and be given the money to bring in the players he believes in - this club which has teetered for so long on the edge of bankruptcy can yet go places.

For Saturday's match was all about Shotton.

And however well Portsmouth played, their fate was sealed. They were doomed, it seemed, to cruel defeat because so many United fans were willing it that way.

It was a typical relegation battle with both sides fully aware of the consequences of losing. Players were edgy, passes went astray and chances were at a premium.

It looked for all the world to be heading for a stalemate. Yet with Shotton standing by the dug-out, urging his players on, shouting out instructions and the crowd responding to his passionate involvement, you just knew there had to be a happy ending.

It came as the game entered the 90th minute.

Nigel Jemson set up Mark Angel on the left flank and the sub delivered the only real quality cross of the afternoon for Beauchamp, coming in from deep, to side-foot home at the back post.

The place erupted. Pompey tried desperately to salvage something but, although the referee allowed nearly three minutes of stoppage time, it was too late.

United had won for the first time in six matches and suddenly, losing to Charlton was completely forgotten.

The Oxford players again worked tirelessly, putting in that extra ounce to try to impress the new boss. But it was all very frenetic.

There's no substitute for class and there wasn't much of that on show, apart from Steve Claridge, making his Portsmouth debut on loan from Leicester.

Claridge forged a dangerous front-line partnership with ex-Oxford striker John Durnin and they made United's centre back work hard to contain them.

Only good defending from Darren Purse stopped Alan McLoughlin from turning in Claridge's cross after a mistake by Simon Marsh.

Marsh hobbled off injured on 19 minutes and the U's brought on Brian Wilsterman, with Phil Gilchrist switching to left back.

But they were not in any way weakened. Wilsterman made some telling interceptions, and Gilchrist proved a strong full back and one of the few who could pass tidily from the back.

Up front, Matt Murphy put himself about to good effect and should have scored in the fifth minutewhen he held off Russell Perrett but put his curling shot wide.

Claridge lobbed Phil Whitehead but his effort hit the top of the stanchion.

Pompey's best chance fell after 73 minutes to Durnin, who side-footed wide after Claridge had laid the ball to him on a plate.

Moments later, Jemson must have thought he'd broken the deadlock as he met Beauchamp's cross with his head four yards out but Alan Knight saved superbly.

The afternoon had begun with Shotton getting a moving ovation from the crowd and going over to the London Road end wearing his horned 'Milk Cup hat'.

At the end, after Beauchamp's winning goal, all eyes were back on Shotton again.

As his players left the pitch, he strode out to shake each one firmly by the hand, showing that same passion for winning he has always had.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.