Oxford awesome against Keele
HOPING FOR A tough warm-up match before the upcoming final three crucial BUSA group matches, we were left rather disappointed. Though a 12-1 victory is always a good confidence booster, it is perhaps fair to say that the Keele side were not quite the strongest of opponents.
Having had to wait for over an hour for the opposition to arrive, it took us a while to find our rhythm. However, it was not too long before the chances began to flow, the best of which fell to giant German centre-half Oehmke, whose overhead-kick hit the bar.
After 25 minutes we finally broke the deadlock, Matt Lowe springing the offside-trap, before coolly finishing past keeper Davidson.
The second went in five minutes later, Steve Rishworth heading home Andy Durnford's pin-point cross. The floodgates were now well and truly open.
Myself, Lowe and Rishworth each added to our tally before the finest goal of the game. An excellent team move, starting in the corner with Andy Ratcliffe's raking pass, resulted in Rishworth releasing Mark Addley down the right.
His accurate centre was met on the run by Lowe who arrowed his volley into the bottom corner to complete his hat-trick.
Leading 6-0 at half-time we made several changes but Keele were unable to stem the tide and some great finishing from the buoyant Blues forwards took the score-line into double figures.
Durnford, Akkaya and Paterson all found the net from the edge of the box before the pick of the second-half goals came in the form of an outrageous back-heel from Mark Johnson.
The introduction of goalkeeper, Tom Casarella, on our right-wing momentarily upset the balance of the side and the Keele left-back, Nickless, strode forward and unleashed a vicious shot past Damian Taylor. However, it was merely a consolation, and Johnson and Durnford restored normality with two more late goals.
We now have three more friendly matches before our next BUSA game, away at Loughborough on Wednesday.
These will be vital to perfect the shape of the side as we can no longer afford any more slips if we are to progress to the knock-out stages. By then we will have a near full-strength squad to choose from so there will be no excuses not to take the seven points we require to ensure qualification.
24th Jan 2002