Oxford United 0 Tonbridge 0

Match 38/07/655 - Saturday, 15th December 2007 - FA Trophy 1st Rd

Oxford United (0) 0
Tonbridge (0) 0
Att. 1,504

Entrance: £10
Programme: £2
Mileage: 223/3,397

Oxford Match Report kentishfootball report

Professionally, half job done. A Conference side is brought back to Longmead and the potential for a giant killing was there for all to see. Oxford United are a big fish in the non league pond. Twenty years ago they were a First Division side and Milk Cup winners and nobody has fallen from a loftier perch into non league in recent years. It is somewhat ironic that having moved out of their old, rather ramshackle surroundings at the Manor Ground into a modern stadium in 2001 with a new chairman, after whom the stadium is named, and a seemingly brighter future, they continued to fall from grace until in 2006 they were relegated into the Nationwide Conference.This season they began as the bookies favourites but find themselves mid table, 23 points behind the leaders and with the Bald Eagle, Jim Smith moved to one side. But none of this should detract from the enormity of Tonbridge’s achievement at the Kassam.

Tonbridge more than deserved their second shot at Longmead on Tuesday. In the very first minute Tommy Tyne spurned a clear opportunity and before the match got to the half hour mark a couple more half chances had come and gone and a rasping drive from Scott Kinch had somehow been deflected over the bar by an Oxford defender. Oxford did come into the game in the last 15 minutes and had a great chance to break the deadlock when top scorer, Odubade got between the central defenders but put the ball wide.

Words were probably passed in the home dressing room as they came out in the second half with a much greater purpose than that which had left them with boos ringing in their ears at the end of the first 45. Tonbridge stood firm, Reed made a couple of good saves, but in general Oxford were not making really clear cut chances. A feature of the first half had been the Angels’ wingers, Logan and Watts both giving their opposing full backs a tough time, but with the increased pressure they were much less threatening as Tonbridge were struggling to retain the ball. Entering into the last 15, it would not have taken Fabio Capello’s salary to recognise that the full time status of the home side would be a telling factor, but it was the part-timers that finished the game on the front foot, and had Hamid Barr’s 77th minute effort found the bottom corner rather than the post, only the most rabid of Oxford supporters would have denied their worthiness.

Tonbridge brought 227 supporters from Kent which, when you remember that only 294 attended the midweek match at Longmead, is a great effort. It was the away support in a sparse 1,504 attendance that made the atmosphere.