Away Match Day Thread 08/05/2024: L1 Play-Off SF 2nd Leg - Peterborough vs OUFC

[Carpy]

Hope we win of course, but their outright arrogance about thinking they'll roll us over makes you want it even more

 

[Ewes]

I only managed to watch the second half but that was a fantastic defensive rearguard performance. Full commitment from Long, Brown and Bennet. That goal line clearance from Sam was so crucial.

I’m not a fan of Finn Stevens and see he was hauled at HT. Regardless of what division we’re in next season I think we can get better, but I do acknowledge he did well in the first leg after a poor March-April.

Bit disappointed we sat back (no shots on goal all second half and only one on target all game) but this was clearly a well-coached and committed defensive display.

A week ago I’d have predicted we’d lose by at least 3 if we got to the final versus Bolton, now I’m not so sure. Bolton do deserve to go up though after a really strong season.

 

[chromeyellow]

Stevens did pretty well but was on a yellow card. Don’t think it’s fair to say he was ‘hauled off’ -it was a recognition that against Mason Clarke we would likely concede another one .when Dale came off Murphy switched sides and did an excellent job supporting Long who made a couple of errors but headed off the line to maintain our lead

 

[Foley]

Interesting also that Ferguson's 'feud' with Clarke Harris I reckon could have cost them.
They played good football but didn't really hurt us much until him and Fernandez came on. Suddenly there was the save on the line by Sam Long and the Cummins save ( plus the flick on from the long throw).
I appreciate that there has been a falling out, but had Clarke Harris come on Saturday or earlier yesterday, things could have been more difficult

 

[Orkney Islands Yellow]

Celebrity endorsement

 

[Marked Ox]

Stevens did pretty well but was on a yellow card

Yes. I reckon the yellow card was the reason he was taken off. Fin Stevens had Mason-Clark in this pocket in the 1st leg which is backed up by the stats shown on TV before the game last night.

 

[Sheik djibouti]

Yes. I reckon the yellow card was the reason he was taken off. Fin Stevens had Mason-Clark in this pocket in the 1st leg which is backed up by the stats shown on TV before the game last night.

Yep - Des said after the game that they wanted to avoid going down to 10 men at all costs (I guessing Fin would be out of the final if he got a second yellow too). Fin marshalled Mason-Clark really well in the first half, but one poor decision to go to ground and mistime his tackle cost him a yellow (no arguments with that), and from then on, it was always going to be difficult against a pacey/tricky winger. For the first few minutes after Long came on, I thought it was only a matter of time until Mason-Clark decisively got the better of him, but Josh Murphy came to his rescue and between them, they dealt with his threat admirably.

 

[IsleofWightYellow]

Yep - Des said after the game that they wanted to avoid going down to 10 men at all costs (I guessing Fin would be out of the final if he got a second yellow too). Fin marshalled Mason-Clark really well in the first half, but one poor decision to go to ground and mistime his tackle cost him a yellow (no arguments with that), and from then on, it was always going to be difficult against a pacey/tricky winger. For the first few minutes after Long came on, I thought it was only a matter of time until Mason-Clark decisively got the better of him, but Josh Murphy came to his rescue and between them, they dealt with his threat admirably.

I wouldn’t say he marshalled him really well, he was getting roasted to be honest and the tackle was a desperate lunge because he was running past him at will. No shame in that and Long struggled at first as well before getting to grips with him a bit. Stevens will learn from it and come back better I’m sure

 

[ttg17]

I have to say I thought peterborough was a lovely day out. That Charters for some pre match beers was absolutely great - fans of both teams mingling in the sun with no trouble at all and just a good bit of atmosphere building. I have to say I’m surprised by the attitudes of their fans on that forum and social media. I spoke to a few Posh fans yesterday and they all seemed thoroughly pleasant and reasonable, all predicted a tight game or an Oxford win - not sure this ‘how much will we win by’ attitude was reflected in the fan base more largely.

They also, to their credit, contributed to making a hell of a din for much of the match. That atmosphere was absolutely crackling, comfortably the best I’ve ever experienced.

That said, and I know it’s been said to death but just to reiterate, it really cannot be overstated just how monumentally stupid it was to lob the three smoke bombs onto the pitch after their goal. Not only contributed to the stoppage time we scored in, but also gave us time to regroup and the momentum in their crowd to ebb. If they’d kicked off immediately I reckon we’d have conceded a second before the interval. Hope whoever threw them enjoyed their moment of cosplaying being a Boca fan in the Bombonera, because it probably cost their side a place in the final.

Plaudits are rightly going to the likes of Cunming, Brannagan and Moore, but a word for McGuane. Asked to play 60+ mins in that atmosphere and in a pretty highly specialised position I’ve not seen him play before and slotted in (after an absolutely lunatic early back pass) seamlessly. All our work off the ball was absolutely superb. RR and MM did an incredible job of cutting off the passing lanes to their dangerous wingers and stifling that midfield.

There is just a weird feeling that, despite not being as good as some of the KR OUFC sides, I think, and despite putting in some honking performances for what felt like months, things are just falling for us. Momentum and fate seems to be with us. Those scenes at full time were special. Bolton are, probably, a better side than us, but there is a growing feeling that this team has that intangible X factor of a team that is going up.

I’m off to watch the highlights for the 10th time and listen to wasn’t at the game. See you at Wembley.

 

[Eaststanding]

Everything has been said about the performance of the team, individual players and the manager.
This could be our year.
I need to mention the fans again; what an atmosphere; non stop singing, I don’t know how it sounded on tv but it was very loud and very proud for 97+ minutes. Tried ringing Mrs ES on the way home but she thought it was Sean Dyche ringing her.
Absolutely f*****g brilliant.

 

[billyturleyscurlywurly]

Anyone else still struggling to put it in to words?

 

[Sheik djibouti]

I wouldn’t say he marshalled him really well, he was getting roasted to be honest and the tackle was a desperate lunge because he was running past him at will. No shame in that and Long struggled at first as well before getting to grips with him a bit. Stevens will learn from it and come back better I’m sure

OK - he must be crap and have no end product then, because I don't really remember him putting in an meaningful crosses in that first 45. Not like Josh Murphy who (as the Sky commentators said at the time) seemed able to cross at will and off either foot too. A bit more guile in the box from our forwards and we could have easily capitalised.

 

[Sheik djibouti]

Celebrity endorsement

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What . . . . The Oxford boys are endorsing Clarkson's Farm?

 

[IsleofWightYellow]

OK - he must be crap and have no end product then, because I don't really remember him putting in a meaningful crosses in that first 45. Not like Josh Murphy who (as the Sky commentators said at the time) seemed able to cross at will and off either foot too. A bit more guile in the box from our forwards and we could have easily capitalised.

Well yeah his crossing wasn’t great, but they had 15 corners in the game and a lot of them were from him getting past Stevens. I’m not praising their winger by any means but a couple of neutrals I know who were watching the game made the point that our right back was getting done a lot by their left winger and it was no surprise that Des took him off at half time. Murphy’s crossing was a lot better than any of theirs though, I agree

 

[notThisWayButThat]

Celebrity endorsement

View attachment 19512

He’ll change his tune once Chadlington reserves vs OUFC at Wembley comes up

 

[Made-in-Jericho]

Do you think Steveopedia would appreciate a complimentary Wembley ticket?

Celebrity endorsement

View attachment 19512

To be honest seeing the flack Jeremy gets from the local council regarding planning permission, he and his 135million followers of his Netflix show would be great allies in our stadium fight. Perhaps he could put in a good word on the show for us.
Pretty sure he hates football but Kaleb's a fan.

 

[Sheik djibouti]

To be honest seeing the flack Jeremy gets from the local council regarding planning permission, he and his 135million followers of his Netflix show would be great allies in our stadium fight. Perhaps he could put in a good word on the show for us.
Pretty sure he hates football but Kaleb's a fan.

Hates football, but Sponsors Chadlington (where Gerald used to play)

 

[ttg17]

Couple of other things:

It’s a bit rich of the Posh forum to go on about us being the most cheating side etc they’ve ever seen - ‘at least we don’t have to watch that every week’ etc. Agreed it is pretty horrible to watch, but the issue one has with the Wycombes and the Lincoln’s of this world is that they don’t obviously play in any other way. We showed those fans three weeks ago that we can play football and be bloody scintillating doing it. Short memories - we quite clearly did a horses for courses job and did it incredibly well.

Secondly, a shame to introduce any kind of damp note to last night, but f**k me I was that close to running on the pitch and lifting Marcus Browne back to his feet myself when he went down right at the end. The subsequent move led directly to the Cumming wonder save. Not sure if ever hve been able to forgive him if that had gone in.

 

[Orkney Islands Yellow]

Hates football, but Sponsors Chadlington (where Gerald used to play)

Thought he was a Chelsea fan?

 

[Sheik djibouti]

Thought he was a Chelsea fan?

Like I said - hates football

 

[unification]

What . . . . The Oxford boys are endorsing Clarkson's Farm?

The Oxford Mail certainly do. There’s an article every day relating to Jeremy Clarkson.