Marlow Rover
Senior Member
Finally found a spare 10mins at work to give my thoughts on last night.
We started very, very quickly last night and it was down to every single one of them playing higher up the pitch. Nuttall, Dack and Antonsson provided really good energy up top, stifling their defence and not letting them settle. Nyambe and Williams were subsequently able to get up over the half way line and immediately we were on the front foot, winning a couple of corners quick, sharp, one of which we scored from. We've been so docile from kick-off since about 2010 that I was genuinely buoyed by the energy they showed. Clearly the instruction was to stop this lot getting a foot on the ball and dictating play early.
I think we surprised Oxford who just didn't get going for the first 25 minutes - they looked leggy and sluggish compared to us which surprised me given they'd had a relatively routine 4 - 0 win at Plymouth on Saturday.
They were full of mistakes and one particularly bad defensive blunder fell to Dack to break through, make a bit of a hash of his chance before Antonsson prodded home.
On second viewing the penalty looks stonewall but I actually thought the ref had blown up for a dive initially, because it did look from my view like Dack had jumped.
Anyway, 3-0 up and arguably deserved due to the energy and drive they were showing. However, on another night you could have looked at the game and thought perhaps 1-0 was fair. We hadn't created THAT many golden chances and their keeper didn't really make a save. It was more a case that everything we touched turned to gold. In fact, I just checked - we had 4 shots on target all night.....
After 30mins Oxford grew in to the game a bit. Their No.10 (Payne) started to dictate play and find pockets of space on the edge of the box in between defence and attack. Their right winger (James Henry) was playing some neat interchanges with him and it took a few very good moments from Mulgrew to stop them breaking through.
We had two fantastic opportunites to break away and effectively kill the game. Once Dack released Evans just inside our half and he took a shocking touch and gifted it straight to their midfielder. The second, Nuttall was put through by a superb ball (Bennett maybe) and he played a hopeless left footed cross which was easily defended when he had 3 or 4 in the box to pick out.
Surprise, Surprise 30 seconds later Payne rifled an absolute cracker across Raya after some really good close control.
I was absolutely furious at HT. The momentum had suddenly swung their way - one more goal and the crowd would have been absolutely raucous. Go in at 3-0 and the game is effectively dead - go in at 3 - 1 in the fashion that we did, and it's game on.
Losing Evans was a blow on 50mins (I'm guessing an injury). He's not the best player in the world but he's comfortable on the ball at this level. He was settling the midfield down, going backwards if he needed to and always available for the ball. Harper replaced him and he looked so out of place. He's a big agile lad and it helped him to recover once or twice from really sloppy moments on the ball. But our rhythm was gone and we started losing the ball in silly areas. Raya's kicking was completely awry and we started to invite pressure on to us.
I honestly can't work out whether Oxford had a really off-night or whether we defended very, very well.... they looked to have neat interchanges around the edge of the box, but I can't really remember a single moment that they got in behind the defence in the second half. Wes Thomas got hooked after about an hour and no wonder, he was crap.
Anyway, if I had a criticism for Rovers last night it was our game management. If you're a top team looking to win promotion you kill games like this by keeping the ball and managing the play. We gave Oxford hope at half time and I never really thought the game was over until the 4th goal. There was always that underlying feeling that Oxford might have enough to make it 3-2 and squeaky bum time.
For all the players Mowbray has brought in, he hasn't found a ball protecting midfielder. I suppose his idea was for it to be Whittingham but that doesn't seem to be happening. We needed someone to dictate for us in the second half and no-one could. Smallwood is combative and destructive, Harper looks that way too. But we needed a brain in midfield to control the game for us.
Nuttall deserved his goal after he ran his knackers off all night - good work from Bennett to set him up.
Their second was disappointing by Downing - he let their striker turn miles too easily.
All in all it's a good result against top-6 contenders. The game should have been won in the first 25minutes but there was always an edge to Oxford that we didn't quite kill till much later on.
Raya - Good in the air under little pressure all night and made one good stop low down in the second half. Kicking is hopeless and he had a Barthez moment when he tried to beat two defenders at 3-1 - 7 -
Nyambe - Solid enough but neither of our full backs are much good in my opinion. Did fine defensively - 6 -
Downing - Him and Mulgrew looked comfortable and a couple of crucial interceptions. Bit disappointed with his part in their 2nd. He got turned easily - 6 -
Mulgrew - Hard to believe a centre half can have such an instrumental impact on play. Two goals, great ball player, solid defensively and always seemed to be in the right place at the right time - 8 -
Williams - I've got an issue with this guy because he's crap at passing, but he dealt with James Henry well who isn't a bad player and he never shy's away from receiving the ball - 7 -
Evans - Thought he was one of our best players in the first half. He's in control in League One and he does support attacks. Shame he went off on 50mins - we worsened as a result IMO - 7 -
Smallwood - Mr consistent - Nothing spectacular but he's a destructive little sod - 6 -
Bennett - Relatively quiet evening. He has ability for sure but I'm not sure he imposes himself enough on games. Lovely assist for Nuttall goal - 6 -
Dack - Him and Payne were the best players on the pitch from an attacking point of view. Work rate was impressive, played a massive hand in Antonsson's goal and won the penalty. - 8 -
Antonsson - More noticeable than Bennett, scored a goal and worked hard - 7 -
Nuttall - How refreshing to see some energy up front. Constant thorn in their side, particularly first half. Deserved his goal purely for effort. Lacked perhaps in that final bit of quality last night - 7 -
Subs
Harper - Need to see more of him to be convinced. Sloppy, bit of a dilly-dally and I thought we lost control a bit when he came on - 5 -
Samuel - 5 -
Graham - 5 -
Ref - Thought he did okay in a bit of a niggly match. Perhaps a bit whistle happy but all in all him and the officials did well. Right decision for the pen by the looks of it - 6 -
We started very, very quickly last night and it was down to every single one of them playing higher up the pitch. Nuttall, Dack and Antonsson provided really good energy up top, stifling their defence and not letting them settle. Nyambe and Williams were subsequently able to get up over the half way line and immediately we were on the front foot, winning a couple of corners quick, sharp, one of which we scored from. We've been so docile from kick-off since about 2010 that I was genuinely buoyed by the energy they showed. Clearly the instruction was to stop this lot getting a foot on the ball and dictating play early.
I think we surprised Oxford who just didn't get going for the first 25 minutes - they looked leggy and sluggish compared to us which surprised me given they'd had a relatively routine 4 - 0 win at Plymouth on Saturday.
They were full of mistakes and one particularly bad defensive blunder fell to Dack to break through, make a bit of a hash of his chance before Antonsson prodded home.
On second viewing the penalty looks stonewall but I actually thought the ref had blown up for a dive initially, because it did look from my view like Dack had jumped.
Anyway, 3-0 up and arguably deserved due to the energy and drive they were showing. However, on another night you could have looked at the game and thought perhaps 1-0 was fair. We hadn't created THAT many golden chances and their keeper didn't really make a save. It was more a case that everything we touched turned to gold. In fact, I just checked - we had 4 shots on target all night.....
After 30mins Oxford grew in to the game a bit. Their No.10 (Payne) started to dictate play and find pockets of space on the edge of the box in between defence and attack. Their right winger (James Henry) was playing some neat interchanges with him and it took a few very good moments from Mulgrew to stop them breaking through.
We had two fantastic opportunites to break away and effectively kill the game. Once Dack released Evans just inside our half and he took a shocking touch and gifted it straight to their midfielder. The second, Nuttall was put through by a superb ball (Bennett maybe) and he played a hopeless left footed cross which was easily defended when he had 3 or 4 in the box to pick out.
Surprise, Surprise 30 seconds later Payne rifled an absolute cracker across Raya after some really good close control.
I was absolutely furious at HT. The momentum had suddenly swung their way - one more goal and the crowd would have been absolutely raucous. Go in at 3-0 and the game is effectively dead - go in at 3 - 1 in the fashion that we did, and it's game on.
Losing Evans was a blow on 50mins (I'm guessing an injury). He's not the best player in the world but he's comfortable on the ball at this level. He was settling the midfield down, going backwards if he needed to and always available for the ball. Harper replaced him and he looked so out of place. He's a big agile lad and it helped him to recover once or twice from really sloppy moments on the ball. But our rhythm was gone and we started losing the ball in silly areas. Raya's kicking was completely awry and we started to invite pressure on to us.
I honestly can't work out whether Oxford had a really off-night or whether we defended very, very well.... they looked to have neat interchanges around the edge of the box, but I can't really remember a single moment that they got in behind the defence in the second half. Wes Thomas got hooked after about an hour and no wonder, he was crap.
Anyway, if I had a criticism for Rovers last night it was our game management. If you're a top team looking to win promotion you kill games like this by keeping the ball and managing the play. We gave Oxford hope at half time and I never really thought the game was over until the 4th goal. There was always that underlying feeling that Oxford might have enough to make it 3-2 and squeaky bum time.
For all the players Mowbray has brought in, he hasn't found a ball protecting midfielder. I suppose his idea was for it to be Whittingham but that doesn't seem to be happening. We needed someone to dictate for us in the second half and no-one could. Smallwood is combative and destructive, Harper looks that way too. But we needed a brain in midfield to control the game for us.
Nuttall deserved his goal after he ran his knackers off all night - good work from Bennett to set him up.
Their second was disappointing by Downing - he let their striker turn miles too easily.
All in all it's a good result against top-6 contenders. The game should have been won in the first 25minutes but there was always an edge to Oxford that we didn't quite kill till much later on.
Raya - Good in the air under little pressure all night and made one good stop low down in the second half. Kicking is hopeless and he had a Barthez moment when he tried to beat two defenders at 3-1 - 7 -
Nyambe - Solid enough but neither of our full backs are much good in my opinion. Did fine defensively - 6 -
Downing - Him and Mulgrew looked comfortable and a couple of crucial interceptions. Bit disappointed with his part in their 2nd. He got turned easily - 6 -
Mulgrew - Hard to believe a centre half can have such an instrumental impact on play. Two goals, great ball player, solid defensively and always seemed to be in the right place at the right time - 8 -
Williams - I've got an issue with this guy because he's crap at passing, but he dealt with James Henry well who isn't a bad player and he never shy's away from receiving the ball - 7 -
Evans - Thought he was one of our best players in the first half. He's in control in League One and he does support attacks. Shame he went off on 50mins - we worsened as a result IMO - 7 -
Smallwood - Mr consistent - Nothing spectacular but he's a destructive little sod - 6 -
Bennett - Relatively quiet evening. He has ability for sure but I'm not sure he imposes himself enough on games. Lovely assist for Nuttall goal - 6 -
Dack - Him and Payne were the best players on the pitch from an attacking point of view. Work rate was impressive, played a massive hand in Antonsson's goal and won the penalty. - 8 -
Antonsson - More noticeable than Bennett, scored a goal and worked hard - 7 -
Nuttall - How refreshing to see some energy up front. Constant thorn in their side, particularly first half. Deserved his goal purely for effort. Lacked perhaps in that final bit of quality last night - 7 -
Subs
Harper - Need to see more of him to be convinced. Sloppy, bit of a dilly-dally and I thought we lost control a bit when he came on - 5 -
Samuel - 5 -
Graham - 5 -
Ref - Thought he did okay in a bit of a niggly match. Perhaps a bit whistle happy but all in all him and the officials did well. Right decision for the pen by the looks of it - 6 -
