Home Match Day Thread 18/4/2023 L1: OUFC v Portsmouth

[Yellow There!]

we need to take our chances, is cost us 3 points.

Sorry no speak English…

Threw the kitchen sink at that tonight best we’ve seen all season. That was a team that cares. Tyler Goodrham outstanding, Joseph ran his socks off, Gatlin strong as an, err, ox before he ran out of puff. Even Sammy Long pretty much faultless tonight.

Should have taken the three points, but that amount of running, desire and effort could just keep us up.

 

[gingerox]

I didn't think it at the time, but looks like a strong shout for a penalty right at the end on Yanic:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1648428626411667458

 

[Andy1505]

Sealed our fate? Cambridge, Accrington & MK Dons all lost and we are a point better off. Keep the faith!

I'm trying but losing all hope quickly!

 

[uptheus]

Played well tonight because we pressed higher and moved the ball around quicker and with intent in both halves.

O’Donkor should have had 2 tonight. The first one he’s got to hit the target, the 2nd one was a bit harder to get the direction on it, but good ball in by Long. He should have come off 10mins before he did as he was completely spent. Thought it was a chance to put Smith on.
Shame the one for Bodin didn’t fall to his left foot or possibly a few minutes later. Probably the best passing move we’ve done all season leading up to Bodin’s chance.

Browne should have done better too, especially when he sat the defender on his backside. He had time to put it in his right foot. He was also tired at the end which means we tend to snatch at chances.

Good game by Goodrham, and unlucky with the worked shot. How much better was it with him rather than Murphy. Puts the effort in, looks to get on the front foot etc.

I just hope we play like that (high intensity/higher pressure), especially at home. If we do then we’ve got a good chance of surviving, but we cannot afford to keep missing these chances, we’ve got to at least hit the target/make the keeper work.

 

[Golden Dr Otto]

Looking at the run in I feel superseding MK Dons might be our best hope.

Accrington cheltenham forest green in our slightly uplifted form gives us a chance of feeling them in

 

[werthersoriginal]

God that was exciting. You know all that stuff about ‘ooh X isn’t really a Y’? Stick it up your a**e! They all put a great shift in tonight and deserved to win, if only someone could hit the target. We can get something at thuggish Barnsley, COYY!

 

[notThisWayButThat]

Sorry no speak English…

Threw the kitchen sink at that tonight best we’ve seen all season. That was a team that cares. Tyler Goodrham outstanding, Joseph ran his socks off, Gatlin strong as an, err, ox before he ran out of puff. Even Sammy Long pretty much faultless tonight.

Should have taken the three points, but that amount of running, desire and effort could just keep us up.

Longy pushed hard tonight. He was fired up.

I've noticed since Manning came in that Easty has been better - not perfect but showing a lot of improvement.

 

[werthersoriginal]

Other results have gone our way
A point is not a disaster

The other results were almost more meaningful than ours.

 

[Northstandboy]

My Pompey supporting neighbour was at the game and their fans were chanting 7 seasons, they have been stuck in L1 for 7 years!

We’re the not in L2 before that?

 

[derek]

gives us a chance of feeling them in

I'm not sure I want to witness that

 

[Mad Dog]

Much improved performance tonight, more urgency, commitment and desire, created a lot of chances, and should’ve won.

However, it has to be said, our finishing is pathetic, bordering on amateurish.

Even in the warmup, you can see that they simply have no idea how to finish, and were making a complete pigs ear of the little one two/shooting drills from 12 yards that they were trying to practice, it’s actually embarrassing.

We simply cannot score from open play, we get into good positions, but the decision making and finishing is some of the worst I’ve ever seen from professional football players.

I’m an unfit, overweight 43 year old, who hasn’t played for 10 years, and even I could’ve finished some of those chances tonight, there really is no excuse, and they need to improve massively, and quick.

That said, overall it was a much improved performance, and with results elsewhere going our way, it could end up being a missive point, so well done Liam and the lads

If we can just sharpen up in the final third, and start making the correct decisions and taking our chances, then on the evidence of that performance, there’s still hope

Bring on Barnsley!

 

[Scotchegg]

I know that we would have all taken a terrible performance and scrappy win, but if we're taking a point that is the best way to do it.

It's hard to fault anyone on tonight's performance. GO'D missed two fantastic chances but never dropped his head and kept giving everything until he was beyond empty. Tyler was everywhere, Joseph and Browne were on the front foot from the off and seemed to pick up every loose ball. Cam and McGuane did more in the middle than we've seen from 3 in the middle before, both snapping at everything and looking at get play going.

The defence gave virtually nothing all game. Their free kick they scored from looked more like a foul on McGuane, they had the header that hit Easty from a corner, but I can't think of any other real chances. Longy was more positive going forward and along with his goal, he made the ball of the game to give GO'D the header chances. Brown came forward more in the second half and always looks threatening. Moore and Findlay were also solid, and along with Easty, their distribution was much much better.

Anderson, Bodin and Wildschut all had moments after coming on and no one went missing.

I certainly wouldn't be surprised to see another battling draw on Saturday, and then s**t gets real from a week tonight against Cheltenham, FG and Accrington. Play like that, and we simply have to get the points we so desperately need.

The fat lady can shut the f**k up for a little while longer yet!

 

[Steve Gilbert]

My Pompey supporting neighbour was at the game and their fans were chanting 7 seasons, they have been stuck in L1 for 7 years!

We’re the not in L2 before that?

They got promoted in the 2016-2017 season so next year will be their 7th year.

 

[Golden Dr Otto]

I do wish Wildsxhutt would close down the players in front of him quicker. He stands off a lot

 

[Steve Gilbert]

In comparison, if we stay up it will be our 8th season in league 1!

 

[Northstandboy]

They got promoted in the 2016-2017 season so next year will be their 7th year.

They got relegated to L1 in 2012/13 and got relegated to L2 for 4 seasons the following.

That’s insane!

 

[notThisWayButThat]

The defence gave virtually nothing all game.

Only Cam Bran with the yellow, 6 yellows for Pompy - which perfectly describes our play tonight. We kept our heads and I am reminded of Manning, I think it was, who said we need to keep our negative emotion out of the game.

 

[tonto]

I could have given motm to practically any of our players. Makes a change from some of our recent games! Smyth needs more time on the pitch and why not throw smith on eventually. Still feeling a lot more optimistic I hope the fitness is there to keep up that level of intensity

 

[Marked Ox]

I didn't think it at the time, but looks like a strong shout for a penalty right at the end on Yanic:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1648428626411667458

Tbf, they should have had a foul from the cross when one of ours pushed a defender out of way of the ball. This is only from watching live but their defender went through Yanic.

Strangely encouraged by tonight even if we should have won. The team looked so much better for the whole game.

My motm was Elliott Moore, won just about every challenge he went for. I'd also say Findlay had a good game.

 

[ECYellow]

Much much better tonight.

My enthusiasm is tinged with a little bit of regret though because once again, we’ve come up a side that are bang average. This league this year is not strong at all and tonight was a missed opportunity to put daylight between ourselves and the bottom 4.

GOD showed some excellent hold up play and he appears to be getting stronger in his duals. Unfortunately, his role is to score and he has missed two chances tonight which a striker should be scoring. Oh for Matty Taylor (cheers to the scouse rat!).

Lots to be encouraged about and I see absolutely no reason why we can’t go to Barnsley and pinch something. They’re another team that will not be untouchable in this abject standard league 1.

Shame about the crowd. Less than 7000 Oxford supporters in for a massive game. I guess it’s what you get when the club can’t be arsed to promote the game adequately. Fair play to everyone that made the effort to go.

7 points will do the job. COYY’s!