Oxford United Review of 2010 Part 1

In years to come, 2010 will be remembered as a very special year for Oxford United.

Promotion seasons (there were just five previously since they first played in the Football League – 1965, 1968, 1984, 1985 and 1996), do not come around that often and Wembley (1986) comes around even less.

But Sunday, May 16, 2010 will be talked about by many of the 33,000 U’s supporters who made the march to the arch for as long as they live.

The scenes that day were momentous, and what it meant to Oxford United Football Club, reclaiming their rightful place in the Football League after a four-year exodus, cannot be put into words.

Yet the year was not just about one day in May.

There were some great wins and thrilling performances to earn a place in the Blue Square Premier play-offs.

And there have been some impressive displays in npower League Two this term, even if they have blown hot and cold.

The year began, in many ways, just as it is ending, with snow and postponements, the New Year’s Day match at Rushden & Diamonds being called off just two and a half hours before kick-off because of a frozen pitch.

Chris Wilder’s team lost top spot for the first time since August because of it, with title rivals Stevenage beating Cambridge United 4-1 to take over at the summit.

The arrival of left-sided centre back Jake Wright, from Brighton, was followed by the signing of left back Anthony Tonkin, from Cambridge, who joined thanks to the 12th Man Fund.

Fans turned up to help clear snow from the Kassam Stadium pitch ahead of the FA Carlsberg Trophy tie against Woking, but their efforts still weren’t enough.

And when the U’s did return to action, it was not in the manner they hoped.

They suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to Tamworth, with Damian Batt sent off.

Luke Foster joined Mansfield and ex-U’s skipper Chris Hargreaves returned to the club to add some experience for the run-in.

And the team returned to their best with a 4-0 demolition of Grays in Essex.

United had also beaten Grays 5-0 at home, and the nine-goal total from both matches represented the biggest two-match aggregate in league fixtures against the same club since United’s final season in the Southern League, back in 1961-2.

Ryan Clarke produced one of the saves of the season in a 3-1 FA Trophy win at Chelmsford which put United into the quarter-finals.

And when they were drawn at home in the last eight, against Kidderminster, it got many Oxford fans starting to think of Wembley.

A 0-0 draw at home to Kidderminster in the league sent United back to the top of the table, but a cruel night was to follow at promotion rivals Luton.

Oxford led at Kenilworth Road until stoppage time, then suffered a nightmare three minutes as they lost 2-1.

The club forked out several thousand pounds on pitch covers before the mid-February fixture against Histon, and it helped to get the game on.

Sam Deering opened the scoring in a 2-0 win, and with Stevenage losing, United surged back to the top.

Adam Chapman buried a late penalty to give the U’s a 1-0 victory over Rushden the following Tuesday.

Although Kidderminster ended one Wembley dream by knocking United out of the FA Trophy, no-one seemed too concerned about that when James Constable struck a goal in each half to earn an exciting 2-0 win over AFC Wimbledon, stretching United’s lead to six points.

That, though, was the end of February, and March was to become a real blip.

After their game at Chester was called off at just 24 hours’ notice, with Chester folding mid-season, United seemed to hit a brick wall.

They went five games without a win, and managed just one victory in an eight-match spell that derailed any prospects they had of automatic promotion.

Playmaker Adam Murray had been unable to play in the second half of the season following a back injury, and the team lacked invention.

Losing 2-1 at home and away to part-timers Hayes & Yeading summed up the slump, their former striker Steve Basham getting both goals on his return to the Kassam Stadium.

A 1-0 defeat at Stevenage on the final day of March ended United’s automatic promotion hopes.

But they regrouped impressively.

Wilder chose to try Chapman as the midfielder to unlock opposition defences, and with goalkeeper Clarke and the defence looking watertight again, the U’s got back on track.

Matt Green’s 90th-minute goal saw off Gateshead 2-1, Alfie Potter headed in an 86th-minute clincher against Salisbury, and Kevin Sandwith’s 82nd-minute decider brought victory over Wrexham.

The U’s finished in third place, and faced Rushden in the play-off semi-finals.

By now the fans had the scent of Wembley, and an early Constable goal in the first leg of their semi at Nene Park put them in charge of that encounter.

Rushden equalised, controversially, in the second half, but the 1-1 result meant Oxford had done half the job.

Nearly 12,000 packed into the Kassam Stadium for the second leg on Monday, May 3, and United were excellent.

Two goals in four minutes by strikers Green and Constable earned a 3-1 aggregate victory, and suddenly the rush for Wembley tickets was on.

Back in 1986, when United reached the Milk Cup final, some 37,500 of their fans bought tickets and turned Wembley yellow and blue.

History was to repeat itself, with just 4,000 fewer than ‘86 following The Yellows to a play-off final against York City that was a dramatic and spectacular occasion.

Once again, striking duo Green and Constable did the business, both scoring quality goals in the opening 21 minutes to give Oxford one foot back in the League.

But a rare mistake by Clarke gifted York a goal back and made for a nervous second half.

It was in the 90th minute that the match was sealed, with Deering tearing forward on the break, and crossing for Potter to score, to send Oxfordshire delirious.

The glory of that 3-1 triumph was to last some time. United went on an open-top bus parade through the city, to which tens of thousands turned out.

Part 2 tomorrow