Oxford United play-off hopes in tatters

9:40am Monday 30th April 2012 in United News Photograph of the Author By David Pritchard, Chief Sports Reporter covering Oxford United. Follow us on twitter: @oxfordmailoufc. Call me on 01865 425458

Scott Rendell’s expression says it all as Oxford United lose to Southend to leave them on the brink of missing out on a play-off spot Scott Rendell’s expression says it all as Oxford United lose to Southend to leave them on the brink of missing out on a play-off spot

CHRIS Wilder admitted Oxford United were now “massive outsiders” to make the play-offs after they lost 2-0 to Southend United on Saturday.

The disappointing defeat at the Kassam Stadium means United now need to win at Port Vale next weekend and hope Crewe lose at home to Aldershot if the U’s are to claim the final play-off spot on the final day of the season.

Wilder said: “Stranger things have happened, the pressure is on Crewe now, maybe it really has gone off us now and we’re massive outsiders to get in.

“We’ve got to dust ourselves down and try to get a result at Port Vale, but certainly results over the last five or six games show we’re just not quite good enough at the moment.”

The U’s boss said Connor Ripley should not be blamed for the result.

The young goalkeeper was at fault for the Shrimpers’ opening goal, when he allowed a Ryan Hall free-kick, which was aimed straight at him, to pass into the net.

The 19-year-old was thrust into the high pressure game as an emergency loan after Wayne Brown joined U’s No 1 Ryan Clarke in the treatment room on Friday.

Ripley was signed from Middlesbrough less than 24 hours before the game and only met his new teammates less than four hours before kick-off.

Wilder said: “It’s just one of those things where he’s come into the biggest game of the season after sitting on a train for five and a half hours and we’re expecting him to pull off saves left, right and centre.

“There’s no blame attached to him at all, it was a difficult situation.”

Wilder admitted his side had been well beaten by Southend, but felt the lack of confidence from his side’s winless run, which now stands at six matches, was key to the decisive spell.

He said: “I just think after what’s happened with us when you concede a goal like that, which is a save you’d expect the goalkeeper to make, it really knocked us back and gave them a massive lift.

“If we had got to half-time with it just being 1-0 I’d have been pretty confident we’d have got something out of the game.

“But the second goal put us right on the back foot.”

Comments(16)

adlibber says...
10:08am Mon 30 Apr 12

Wilder is correct we are massive outsiders because of his massive inability to stop the rot 3-4 games ago. His selections,tactics and general ineptitude has contributed to our slide. Oh and those fans who criticised Wilder and his response of 'ramming comments down our throats? I'm assuming he will be humble enough to dine on his immature retort alone? The bubble has burst I'm afraid. Even if we defy odds and Crewe blow it Wilder can't take the credit for luck. Sorry CW but think it's time you were moved on.

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LeGod says...
11:07am Mon 30 Apr 12

Shame

Still we are the CHAMPIONS

STFC

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BigAlBiker says...
12:03pm Mon 30 Apr 12

I have said it before and i will say it again, CW is tactical numpty, 433 is nowhere good enough in a division where other sides play a minimum of 4 in midfield, we dont have speed merchants there and get outrun and out played, no good having three strikers if they dont get the ball.

To get out of this League 2 you need to play either 442 or my preferance 4141 and make the front man a quick target man with quick midfielders supporting him, others have wised up to this, we have not, skill alone does not get you promoted.

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adlibber says...
3:32pm Mon 30 Apr 12

Big Al - I agree and Wilder has to shoulder the blame for our poor performances of late and for draining the confidence out of players who are capable of playing at a higher level.

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adlibber says...
3:33pm Mon 30 Apr 12

Le Nob are you really that sad and dysfunctional that all you have to look forward to is to come on to a provincial newspapers forum and brag about your team? I mean the odd post is acceptable but you seem so empty that this forum is a bit like you going out on a date. Seriously get a life or a squeaky toy you can chase.

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LeGod says...
6:59pm Mon 30 Apr 12

adlibber - sums up the name for you.

Yes we won the league

Yes we only conceded one goal at home since October and only conceded 8 goals at home all season.

Yes we had the best L2 player of the season.

Yes Caddis and Ritchie in team of the season.

Yes we got to the final of the JPT and made 500k from it.

Yes we won the Ronnie Radford award for kncking Wigan out the cup.

Yes we won the best league programme of the season

Yes we knocked Bristol City-Colchester-Wiga
n-Huddersfield
out of the domestic cup and the first team to best Huddersfield in 24 games.

Yes we are Swindon Town and Yes we are going up.

Quite honestly i dont care what you think you lot have been spouting abuse on our forums all season at least mine is factual information that you need reminding of.

Bye Bye Oxford never mind you can play Fleetwood next season.

FOREVER IN OUR SHADOW

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jase1969 says...
8:51pm Mon 30 Apr 12

we,ve just won the league,we,ve just won the league, we are swindon,we,ve just won the league!!!!!! ha ha ha scummers!!!!!!!enjoy league 2!!!

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Ab Boy says...
12:40am Tue 1 May 12

Bottled the big games!!!

Twice v Oxford, Chesterfield at Wembley, Aldershot when you had to win to go up, Shrewsbury at home who were 1 nil up and should have had a cast iron pen to make it 2!!!

So well done for winning the games v the rubbish better than most teams and although you have gone up its with a bitter taste and not the great feeling you would have wanted!!!

Also beating those teams in the FA CUP does that mean your playing at Wembley in the final this weekend??

1st 2nd 3rd Round, does it really matter????

Ask any other person not From Swindon or Huddersfield and ask them who ended their 24 match unbeaten run??

NOT ONE PERSON WOULD GUESS YOU LOT!!

So well done a half decent season but my highlight will be beating you with 10 men and watching PDC ALMOST lose the plot!!!

THE RED ROBIN BOTTLERS!!

And you keep coming on here to bring it all up because us beating you home and way to make it THREE TIMES on the trot now, JUST WONT GO AWAY AND IT STICKS IN YOUR THROAT!!!!

And it would have been nice for you to be on here when we beat you TWICE Instead of hidding away for so long and then re-appear at the end!!

SAD SO SAD

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Whitstablexile says...
8:06am Tue 1 May 12

Yep the reds won the league. Well done, seriously. PDC has spent heavily and that investment has got you up.

However, you choked in your cup final and choked again, twice, when playing us. So if you are honest in your assessment of the season you will have to concede that there is still something missing and your league success is tinged with disappointment on the back of 2 derby defeats. It's a pity that we won't be playing you next season but hopefully the year after, assuming you survive and we go up, we can resume our rivalry. Will West Ham come in for PDC this summer? If they miss out on promotion you should be worried.

As for the 'forever in our shadow' nonsense, have you any idea what that makes you sound like?

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LeGod says...
8:27am Tue 1 May 12

You mean bottlers like Oxford have done in the last 6 games

Ha Ha Ha

Cheerio Cheerio Cheerio

We beat Shrewsbury at hime you moron we went 1-0 down and won 2-1 so get your facts right.

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Ab Boy says...
8:52am Tue 1 May 12

LeGod

Please read what people say b4 making a comment!!!!

You WERE 1 down v Shrewsbury, who then should have had a stonewall PEN to make it 2 but it was not given and as they were gutted and feeling cheated you nicked a 2-1 victory!!!!

So PLEASE dont tell me I do not know what I am talking about!!!

At leats some decent Swindon fans came on here after we beat you AGAIN and have a chat, not like you who went very very quite and stayed off the site!!!

If you cant take it DONT give it!!!

Have yoy thought of playing for Swindon as they are full of bottlers aswell!!!

They really do respect PDC those players dont they as are they the same 1's that went on the P**S after PDC told them not to before the Aldershot game???

In the cold light of the day if someone came in for PDC what the hell do you think he would say??

NO THANKS I LOVE IT HERE, ITS A WONDEFUL TOWN, THE STADUIM IS AMAZING AND I AM BUILDING SOMETHING FOR THE FUTURE HERE!!!

LOL LOL LOL

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sprouts says...
9:41am Tue 1 May 12

I think it's a frustrating situation, but why does CW have to make it worse with such strange comments?

For example: "I just think after what’s happened with us when you concede a goal like that, which is a save you’d expect the goalkeeper to make, it really knocked us back and gave them a massive lift."

So he is blaming an early goal after all? Sorry, but if this is really the "biggest game of the season" as he told us before, then you would except him to have his players motivated to take an early goal as an extra motivation -- and not as an excuse.

Maybe it's just talk from the "Manager's PR Phrase Book", but I find it deeply dissatisfying.

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wantage_stfc says...
2:04pm Tue 1 May 12

Sure you beat us twice this season well done deserved, but we have been the most consistent team in not just league to but the whole of English Football, so we lost 2 games late in the season but we were always going to go up, deal with that cause it's true. as for CW he is no Better than a BSP Manager at best and i have stuck with this since start of season as some of you will know. I will miss the banter from the ones that know how to give it without it involving threats and pathetic stupidity and will also miss the pre derby bull, but we got what we deserved and your getting what you lot Deserve League 2 football is all you really deserved to get this season.

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Micky Hazard says...
6:32pm Tue 1 May 12

Couple of things to put the bitter yellows straight on;

- Bottled the 'big' games?? We beat Crawley hm & away, Southend 3/3 (twice away, 1 in JPT), Torquay hm, Shrewsbury hm, Cheltenham hm, Barnet to qualify for Wembley (which made it a big game) - enough there for you? The very fact that we may well end up on 95 points surely proves that we didn't just beat the strugglers! Even you lot can surely see that.
- our 2 games were weirdly similar in that we just couldn't capitalise on our COMPLETE DOMINANCE both times, nothing to do with 'bottling it'. Of course losing these games wasn't great, but unlike you lot, it's not everything to us - we are aware of the bigger picture. And you'll never be our biggest derby anyway, just one of them.
- we tailed off in the end mainly because we had it in the bag already, we stormed it, p*ssed it, smashed it, whatever you want to call it.
- Wembley did show us that we need to strengthen for Lge 1, which we knew anyway, and we will, backed by our seriously wealthy owners.

Maybe see you in another 10, or 20 years?!?! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAA
!!!!

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faatmaan says...
6:58pm Tue 1 May 12

speaking out of turn with reference to STFC, it is a shame OUFC will not be following us up, the make up of league one lacks any teams we could generally call local,OUFC afford us the opportunity to interact with good hearted banter, and two meaningful matches a year, please OUFC get up next season, as long as we don't fall back into Div 2

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yellowhoods says...
10:59am Wed 2 May 12

How long have we been a league club?? We are not a traditional league club we are a small mk dons, with the money we have and the size of the city weve done really well.

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