Port Vale 3 (Richards 41, Rigg 69, Williamson 90) Oxford United 0 (From Witney Gazette)
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Port Vale 3 (Richards 41, Rigg 69, Williamson 90) Oxford United 0
5:05pm Saturday 5th May 2012 in Oxford Utd
By David Pritchard, Chief Sports Reporter covering Oxford United. Follow us on twitter: @oxfordmailoufc. Call me on 01865 425458
OXFORD United’s play-off hopes were snuffed out with a defeat in their final game of the season.
Marc Richards’ shot put the hosts in front at half-time after an evenly contested opening 45 minutes.
United were spurred on by news rivals Crewe Alexandra were losing, but their commitment to attack saw them caught out midway through the second half, when Sean Rigg struck a second goal on the break.
It gave the U’s a mountain to climb and they could not find a way back into the contest, conceding a third goal to Ben Williamson in stoppage time, as their season petered out with a seventh game without a win.
Manager Chris Wilder made four changes in an unfamiliar starting line-up, with Damian Martinez, Tony Capaldi, Peter Leven and Tom Craddock coming into the side.
It meant a change of system, switching from 4-3-3 to a 4-4-1-1, with Craddock playing in behind Jon-Paul Pittman, who had the first sight of goal.
Just two minutes were on the clock when the striker cut in from the right flank and arrowed a low shot from 20 yards which beat Vale goalkeeper Stuart Tomlinson but slipped past the post.
Craddock had the next clear opening, on 19 minutes, when he was put through by Andy Whing, but the striker delayed his shot long enough for Joe Davis to recover and block.
Vale had plenty of the ball but Martinez, signed on loan from Arsenal yesterday, was untested until the 37th minute.
Rigg, who looked lively on the left flank, got to the byline and hung up a cross to the back post, which Tom Pope headed straight at the Argentinian goalkeeper.
Martinez was beaten four minutes later, when Marc Richards pounced on United skipper Jake Wright’s back header, nipping in to flick a finish into the net.
Despite the scoreline, United were given added impetus at the break with the news play-off rivals Crewe Alexandra were 2-1 behind at home to Aldershot.
In response Adam Chapman, Scott Rendell and Oli Johnson were all brought on as the U’s adopted their more familiar 4-3-3 formation.
It almost made an immediate impact, with Leven playing in Chapman on the counter-attack, but the midfielder’s attempted chip was easily caught by Tomlinson.
The changes transformed the tempo of the game, with United on top but leaving gaps at the back for Vale to exploit on the counter-attack.
Richards nearly made it 2-0 just before the hour, but Capaldi did brilliantly to slide in and deflect the close range shot over the crossbar.
The game was wide open and United needed a brilliant save from Martinez to stay in the game, with the goalkeeper tipping Tom Pope’s header over the bar.
From the resulting corner Vale had two efforts blocked on the line, while Pope hit the post.
A goal for one of the sides seemed inevitable, and it arrived on 69 minutes when Vale doubled their advantage.
The hosts sprung on the counter-attack, leaving Wright to face two attackers. Rigg opted to the chance on himself, going past the defender’s challenge and lashing a shot past Martinez.
United continued to attack, but had little joy until Pittman headed into the net six minutes from time. The celebrations were short-lived, with the referre ruling the goal out for a push from the striker on his marker.
Vale ran down the clock with ease and rubbed salt into the visitors’ wounds when Ben Williamson struck a third goal in the final minute.
Attendance: 5,621 (886 visitors).
Oxford Utd: Martinez, Batt, Duberry, Wright, Davis (Rendell 46), Hall, Whing (Chapman 46), Leven, Capaldi, Craddock (Johnson 49), Pittman.
Substitutes: Crocombe, Montano.
Comments(54)
Brian Gibbs
says...
5:43pm Sat 5 May 12
I posted after the Sheffield cup match that Chris Wilder was not a manger who could motivate or take us to a higher level and I am sorry to say that I have been proved right.
I suspect the club will not sack him now but if we are not in the top three by the end of September then I hope they do the right thing by the supporters.
oldun
says...
6:07pm Sat 5 May 12
There are few clubs in the division above us which are bigger than us (I make it only about six or seven) – many in that division any are minnows compared with Oxford – playing before less than 5000.
In the fourth tier – all of these were in it in the last five years, Swindon, Rovers, Argyle, Bradford, Gillingham, Southend, Vale , Rotherham, Dagenham, Northampton, Crewe, Cheltenham, Hereford – yet we have not been there for 11 years – so disappointing – win those two remaining games and then win the play offs - it is the least that a club of United’s size should settle for .
16 points behind missing the other end of the lottery of the play offs !! Will we make up those 16 points without massive strengthening - no, way!
Joe1
says...
6:19pm Sat 5 May 12
1. Not to sign players who are not totally fit.
2.Sign forwards who know how to finish & have the capability to score.
3. Get some decent cover for our Goal Keeper.
4.Sign a solid Centre Half.
5.Don't sign a glut of midfield players.
I am not convinced that CW has the motivation or field craft to Manage at this or a higher level. I don't know if he reads some our input on this site. He might be suprised to read what we feel & think.
Our great fans deserve better than this lot have shown.
What a tremendous let down it has all been. Shame shame shame.
Ginger-nutz
says...
6:26pm Sat 5 May 12
.
Your post is very factual and mostly correct.
.
A club of your size should make the top 7 at this level without much effort.
.
But then, so should Rovers, Bradford, and Plymouth......
.
Trouble is that it's not just about strengthening.....
.
We done that two seasons ago, with massive investment on top quality players for Div 1 standard.....And we finished bottom......
.
It's more about management of the talent you have, because money alone doesn't guarantee success.
.
Paolo has worked wonders for us, and he IS a top class motivator who demands a high level of consistency and 100% effort week in week out.
.
Wilder hasn't got the x-factor or belief to get your lot out of this league.
.
Time to ship out, and for your board to get a pair of cahunas and invest some real money in the squad and management team.
.
Good luck next season guys.
northampton yellow
says...
6:33pm Sat 5 May 12
Joe1 wrote:i agree , but be intereting to see who he will let go over the next week, but has cw got the talking power to bring in fresh blood and are they going to be anybetter (PROB NOT) BUT MUST GET NEW COACHING STAFF IN AND SACK MEVELLIE AND LEWIS."NO CLUE"ALSO be interesting to see how much of our season ticket money he gets to spend . After our 210.000 loss .
What a dreadful end to our season. We just can't score. When we (hopefully) bring NEW players during the Summer, thing's to bear in mind:
1. Not to sign players who are not totally fit.
2.Sign forwards who know how to finish & have the capability to score.
3. Get some decent cover for our Goal Keeper.
4.Sign a solid Centre Half.
5.Don't sign a glut of midfield players.
I am not convinced that CW has the motivation or field craft to Manage at this or a higher level. I don't know if he reads some our input on this site. He might be suprised to read what we feel & think.
Our great fans deserve better than this lot have shown.
What a tremendous let down it has all been. Shame shame shame.
BigAlBiker
says...
6:42pm Sat 5 May 12
We need three strikers of quality, two midfielders who are quick, two defenders who shut down the oppo, and a spare goalie, no useless panic signings or heaps of useless loan signings.
Oh and play 442 or 4141 NOT 433 as we get outrun.
oldun
says...
6:47pm Sat 5 May 12
The Manager
says...
7:22pm Sat 5 May 12
learned
says...
7:38pm Sat 5 May 12
jbowling
says...
7:54pm Sat 5 May 12
2) The reason why we don't score goals is because of the way we play not the players themselves. You need to get the ball wide and get crosses in and then even mediocre strikers will score. Our old ones do when they move clubs.
3) We set out to score one goal and then hang on for a victory. When we concede first we never win.
4) If we can't buy players then at least develope a youth policy.
5) I will no longer attend matches while Wilder is in charge. As long as attendances hold up the board will not get ride of him.
He will go in the end so why wait
EastleazeRed
says...
7:57pm Sat 5 May 12
EastleazeRed
says...
7:57pm Sat 5 May 12
senior supporter
says...
8:02pm Sat 5 May 12
Oxe
says...
8:11pm Sat 5 May 12
Oxford has always made its best progress when there was quality scouting and coaching to identify potential talent and develop it. The worry about Wilder and his team is that i) he rarely seems capable of spotting real talent and ii) the players that he does sign, seem to go backwards under his coaching. The result is a revolving door of signings/loan players, all of whom we are told by Wilder on arrival are apparently great players with huge potential but most of whom then quietly disappear. As for the players who did appear to have some genuine talent when Wilder arrived, they are sold off – normally because Wilder has apparently spotted some form of attitude problem – and then often do well at other clubs.
If Wilder continues his current pot luck approach to signing, hoping that eventually he might strike lucky, the only thing we are going to do is help other clubs who probably can’t believe their luck at being able to offload their worse players on such a mug. No-one spotted by Wilder has ever made sufficient progress under his coaching to get a higher division club to sign them. ‘Fraid I am old enough to remember when the Manor was full of scouts from higher divisions interested in seeing the talent that was coming through at the club.
Sacking or keeping Wilder depends on your aspirations for the club. We won’t go back to the Conference so if you are happy to be another Morecambe or Burton, fine, keep him. If you actually want to go further and get some promotion - like Stevenage and Crawley - we need to change the management as neither he nor his coaching team have the ability to achieve it. Question is whether KT has the guts to quietly explain that it is time to leave or finds it easier out of personal loyalty to Wilder to just let him carry on.
gwoxeg
says...
8:15pm Sat 5 May 12
AylesburyOx
says...
8:25pm Sat 5 May 12
Oxe wrote:What he said. Absolutely spot on
The question has to be asked as to whether Wilder actually has the ability to take Oxford any further. I was happy to give him a chance if we were making real progress but we are going round in circles – wait for the imminent annual clear out of the very players that Wilder himself brought in last year.
Oxford has always made its best progress when there was quality scouting and coaching to identify potential talent and develop it. The worry about Wilder and his team is that i) he rarely seems capable of spotting real talent and ii) the players that he does sign, seem to go backwards under his coaching. The result is a revolving door of signings/loan players, all of whom we are told by Wilder on arrival are apparently great players with huge potential but most of whom then quietly disappear. As for the players who did appear to have some genuine talent when Wilder arrived, they are sold off – normally because Wilder has apparently spotted some form of attitude problem – and then often do well at other clubs.
If Wilder continues his current pot luck approach to signing, hoping that eventually he might strike lucky, the only thing we are going to do is help other clubs who probably can’t believe their luck at being able to offload their worse players on such a mug. No-one spotted by Wilder has ever made sufficient progress under his coaching to get a higher division club to sign them. ‘Fraid I am old enough to remember when the Manor was full of scouts from higher divisions interested in seeing the talent that was coming through at the club.
Sacking or keeping Wilder depends on your aspirations for the club. We won’t go back to the Conference so if you are happy to be another Morecambe or Burton, fine, keep him. If you actually want to go further and get some promotion - like Stevenage and Crawley - we need to change the management as neither he nor his coaching team have the ability to achieve it. Question is whether KT has the guts to quietly explain that it is time to leave or finds it easier out of personal loyalty to Wilder to just let him carry on.
adlibber
says...
9:06pm Sat 5 May 12
adlibber
says...
9:18pm Sat 5 May 12
dave from witney
says...
9:21pm Sat 5 May 12
senior supporter wrote:Stevenage were in the conference three years ago, They have not thrown money at players. The time has come to say, you did quite well as a non league manager, but that's where it ends....goodbye.
Some of the comments above are to put it mildly crazy. CW has done a good job within a restricted budget.Swindon and Crawley have had money thrown at them but when the new restrictions on spending come in then we maybe on a more level playing ground as regards to transfer money. I listened to CW and the chairman on Radio OX earlier and both know what needs to be done.Let them do their jobs and we will be OK next season.Remember we were in the Conference three years ago. Rome wasnt built in a day.
The Manager
says...
9:27pm Sat 5 May 12
Ginger-nutz
says...
10:09pm Sat 5 May 12
senior supporter wrote:Swindon and Crawley have had money thrown at them???...
Some of the comments above are to put it mildly crazy. CW has done a good job within a restricted budget.Swindon and Crawley have had money thrown at them but when the new restrictions on spending come in then we maybe on a more level playing ground as regards to transfer money. I listened to CW and the chairman on Radio OX earlier and both know what needs to be done.Let them do their jobs and we will be OK next season.Remember we were in the Conference three years ago. Rome wasnt built in a day.
.
I think not....
.
The FA rules watch over this at lower league levels and Crawley may have dodged a few audits before the inevitable sales in January, when they realised it was putting them in a precarious position.
.
But Swindon??.... You're having a laugh :)....
.
We sold massively last year with loads of quality leaving, and we hardly invested in big transfer fees....
.
It's about having a manager with a winning mentality who can install that same belief into average footballers.....
Lou Macari, Ossie Ardiles, Glenn Hoddle and now Paolo DiCanio all had that ability ...
.
Football is a franchise business and its all about the name above the door....
.
Do you really think the CW can compete with PdC when it comes to signing a young talented player :).....
.
Think about it?.... Hence the success of the other names above....
.
You eed to spend on your management team, and the rest should fall into place if you choose good proffesional people.
New Manor rename
says...
12:05am Sun 6 May 12
senior supporter wrote:As a 'senior' supporter you should have enough experience to realise that your comments are quite simply wrong. Wilder has stuttered through the season making poor decision after poor decision both in the transfer market and through tactics on the playing field. Get rid now!!!!!
Some of the comments above are to put it mildly crazy. CW has done a good job within a restricted budget.Swindon and Crawley have had money thrown at them but when the new restrictions on spending come in then we maybe on a more level playing ground as regards to transfer money. I listened to CW and the chairman on Radio OX earlier and both know what needs to be done.Let them do their jobs and we will be OK next season.Remember we were in the Conference three years ago. Rome wasnt built in a day.
RocketMan
says...
12:22am Sun 6 May 12
It is in some ways understandable, as a season which has seen significant improvement and promised so much, has fizzled out in disappointing fashion, which performances in the last 6/7 games which are more relegation form than promotion form, just when it matters most.
I agree with some of the points raised by, Senior, gwaxeg and Manager, although I don't think shooting Wilder is the solution at present. We have seen so far, consistent year on year improvement under his reign and no mention has been of the injuries which have necessitated loan signings. This is not to say some of loanee's have been any good, clearly they haven't, exceptions, being Hall and Holmes.
Clearly the club is right to keep a balanced budget, where too many clubs ignore these basic rules at their peril.
The problem is, and continues to be, that if we had gone up this season, we would have come straight done again.
The reason is simple, even if the solution is not, we cannot convert superior play into goals. Some brilliant stuff is produced, but where is the end product. Hoping to win one nil, just does not cut it. It is we don't shoot, put enough crosses in, or players cannot make the right decisions at speed going forward to cut and punish weak teams wide open, then we are always open to struggle.
The management team and the players need to sort this out and quickly. It is the quality of the playing personnel in attack, because we cannot afford better or a conflict in training methods and tactics? It is noticeable the teams which go up in the automatics score goals for fun. The goal tally of our forwards is just not good enough.
adlibber
says...
6:56am Sun 6 May 12
dave from witney
says...
7:40am Sun 6 May 12
jayden
says...
8:20am Sun 6 May 12
oldun
says...
8:49am Sun 6 May 12
CamView
says...
9:55am Sun 6 May 12
Two thousand Oxford supporters out of seven thousand in the ground and we could not lift or game or do anything to stretch the opposition.
The last seven games were woeful. A good manager would surely got us one win and a draw to get us into the play offs.
The stubborn approach of playing the same under performing formation and players is one of the reasons that Wilder will not takes on.
We will not attract players we need. They will have heard about Wilder and his petty grudges. Who would want to come to Oxford and be sent out on loan?!
Lee Holmes was he class of player we needed but he was having none of it.
Wilder has cost the club about £250,000 on loan players and on my reckoning that improvement, Kelvin and Wilder have talked about, cost the club £50g a point (63 points v 68 points).
The crowds will drop off next season and then hard decisions will be forced onto the trouble will be that the new man have will have to make do with all the journey men Wilder has managed to get in in the closed season
oldun
says...
10:29am Sun 6 May 12
bigchet
says...
10:46am Sun 6 May 12
oldun
says...
10:48am Sun 6 May 12
EricTheRed
says...
11:34am Sun 6 May 12
oldun wrote:club your size? dont make me larf.... One milk cup win doesnt make a "Huge club" at best you are a Swindon-town sized club.. Provincial at best
11 years since we played in the third tier – amazing for a club of our size – I never thought that when me moved grounds it would take anything like so long
There are few clubs in the division above us which are bigger than us (I make it only about six or seven) – many in that division any are minnows compared with Oxford – playing before less than 5000.
In the fourth tier – all of these were in it in the last five years, Swindon, Rovers, Argyle, Bradford, Gillingham, Southend, Vale , Rotherham, Dagenham, Northampton, Crewe, Cheltenham, Hereford – yet we have not been there for 11 years – so disappointing – win those two remaining games and then win the play offs - it is the least that a club of United’s size should settle for .
16 points behind missing the other end of the lottery of the play offs !! Will we make up those 16 points without massive strengthening - no, way!
oldun
says...
11:50am Sun 6 May 12
oldun
says...
11:58am Sun 6 May 12
1 Bradford City 233,944 10,171
2 Swindon Town 193,444 8,410
3 Oxford United 171,378 7,451
huge club - only averaging 8410 when walking the league!!
BigAlBiker
says...
2:24pm Sun 6 May 12
I can count 13 off by hand with the leading one scoring 11 in all competitions, the most efficient was Robbie Hall with 6 in 10 if my memory is any good.
Need i say more as to why were where we are.
oldun
says...
2:25pm Sun 6 May 12
Manor Born
says...
4:36pm Sun 6 May 12
CW can blame injuries all he likes, in which case he has to look at training and the conditioning the players are put through. When 95% of the injuries are pulls and strains, it means they are either being pushed too hard in training, or not getting the right warm-up. So what on earth is the fitness coach doing? Not a very good job and one that certainly contradicts his job title.
We need an attacking coach who knows how to get the best out of the strikers. Melville - defender, lewis - defensive midfielder, wilder - defensive midfielder. No wonder the strikers don't know what the hell is going on.
The responsibility lies firmly with Wilder and his clearly stated objective was at least a play-off berth at the start of the season. He has failed and today's capitulation was one bad result and performance too many.
It is so noticeable that our two periods of shocking form came so quickly after two memorable and historic wins. Sadly they count for nothing come the end of the season, when the scummers are laughing their way to promotion and we can't even muster a play-off berth. The season is 46 games, not two.
Chish and Fips
says...
5:02pm Sun 6 May 12
oldun wrote:Is that the formation, or the answer Big A's question of how many forwards you lot have used this season. :o)
442
Injuries and home form I believe were your teams downfall.
BigAlBiker
says...
5:13pm Sun 6 May 12
Chish and Fips wrote:Could be both the amount of rubbish we have had playing up front, sorry, walking around up front, teams nowadays defend from the front, with three in midfield it's imperative but what do our lot do, get caught offside and catch a cold waiting for the ball.
oldun wrote:Is that the formation, or the answer Big A's question of how many forwards you lot have used this season. :o)
442
Injuries and home form I believe were your teams downfall.
CW exit left.
Wild Chris
says...
6:43pm Sun 6 May 12
I have no idea, also what is the problem with the players fitness?
Conceding late goals and the very poor form in the last few weeks have been the major disappointments of the season. At the end of May I was happy with the way the season was going, believing that we would finish in the playoffs but not get through to Wembley. But since Accrington that looked increasingly unlikely. Fitness, the lack of goals and defending for a full 90 mins all need attention before next season, continued improvement requires a playoff spot next year.
jayden
says...
8:25pm Sun 6 May 12
oldun wrote:YOU talk rubbish its only because our prices are higher than yours we dont get 10 k.
Team Total Average
1 Bradford City 233,944 10,171
2 Swindon Town 193,444 8,410
3 Oxford United 171,378 7,451
huge club - only averaging 8410 when walking the league!!
oldun
says...
8:34pm Sun 6 May 12
jayden
says...
9:07pm Sun 6 May 12
Brenda Jackson
says...
9:58pm Sun 6 May 12
senior supporter wrote:''Remember we were in the Conference three years ago''
Some of the comments above are to put it mildly crazy. CW has done a good job within a restricted budget.Swindon and Crawley have had money thrown at them but when the new restrictions on spending come in then we maybe on a more level playing ground as regards to transfer money. I listened to CW and the chairman on Radio OX earlier and both know what needs to be done.Let them do their jobs and we will be OK next season.Remember we were in the Conference three years ago. Rome wasnt built in a day.
Also remember, we were in the Top Flight, albeit a long time ago, but it still has as much significance as your statement.
''I listened to CW and the chairman on Radio OX earlier and both know what needs to be done''
Yes, and i seem to recall they said very similar the start of this (Very disappointing) season. Don't see any evidence that they will do better next season, words are cheap.
Highworth red
says...
8:56am Mon 7 May 12
AylesburyOx
says...
11:37am Mon 7 May 12
Manor Born wrote:I second this!
It's the lack of pride, passion and commitment. This team have shown absolutely zero in any of that in the last 7 games. The lack of balls has been astonishing. Add to that the naive tactics, the bizarre substitutions and a plan b that seemed to be "stick 8 forwards on the pitch and hope for the best". It is pretty obvious where the fault lies.
CW can blame injuries all he likes, in which case he has to look at training and the conditioning the players are put through. When 95% of the injuries are pulls and strains, it means they are either being pushed too hard in training, or not getting the right warm-up. So what on earth is the fitness coach doing? Not a very good job and one that certainly contradicts his job title.
We need an attacking coach who knows how to get the best out of the strikers. Melville - defender, lewis - defensive midfielder, wilder - defensive midfielder. No wonder the strikers don't know what the hell is going on.
The responsibility lies firmly with Wilder and his clearly stated objective was at least a play-off berth at the start of the season. He has failed and today's capitulation was one bad result and performance too many.
It is so noticeable that our two periods of shocking form came so quickly after two memorable and historic wins. Sadly they count for nothing come the end of the season, when the scummers are laughing their way to promotion and we can't even muster a play-off berth. The season is 46 games, not two.
jayden
says...
11:48am Mon 7 May 12
yellowhoods
says...
2:42pm Mon 7 May 12
Mac27
says...
3:07pm Mon 7 May 12
yellowhoods
says...
6:00pm Mon 7 May 12
Major Oxford
says...
12:59pm Tue 8 May 12
oldun
says...
1:03pm Tue 8 May 12
yellowhoods
says...
4:15pm Wed 9 May 12
yellowhoods says...
5:29pm Sat 5 May 12