Oxford Home Won 2 – 0 (I was expecting a cricket score)
A major surprise in the line-up to face Oxford: Archer in to play alongside Larin up front – well, we’ve tried him with every other forward we have, so maybe this time it would click? Also recalled were Charles and Fellows, and both were to prove important as Saints raced into an early two goal lead. The first came after just six minutes when Hardwood-Bellis played in Fellows whose low cross was turned in nicely at the near post by Larin. Still within the first 15 minutes, a corner was played short to Archer who passed back in a structured move. Shay Charles’ post match interview suggests the ball wasn’t really going where it was intended, but it ended up at the feet of Charles who sent a first time curling shot past Cumming from over 30 yards for an astonishing lifetime best goal. It’s hard to believe that our changes were just to cope with lowly Oxford, but we had done enough homework to install additional advertising boards to discourage long throw routines. It didn’t stop the visitors from using them as they needed to try everything they could to get back into a game that had gone sour for them very early on. It remained 2-0 at the break with Peretz undisturbed while Saints were unable to threaten Cumming again. And so the game continued with little worth including in a highlights reel, until Downes played an awkward ball back to Harwood-Bellis who didn’t cope and suddenly we saw the Us’ most prolific scorer, Lankshear, bearing down on goal unchallenged: somehow he failed to hit the target, probably as a result of a heavy touch at a crucial moment. You’d like to think that a goal then wouldn’t have changed the result, despite there being over 25 minutes left. 3-0 would have sewn things up nicely and a new forward line that included Stewart, should have added to the goals ‘for’ after Stewart forced a full length save and the loose ball headed for Fellows: he could only hit the woodwork from close range and a difficult, but not impossible, angle.
Three LSSC Man of the Match candidates to choose from:
4. Flynn Downes. A top performance was marred only by his pass to TH-B, plus he wasn’t cautioned (for once).
9. Cyle Larin. He was replaced (along with Archer) after 60 minutes but he had set us on our way and always gives us an ‘out’ ball.
24. Shay Charles. A decent performance, but what a goal!
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