FL2: Oxford Utd v Torquay Utd 2 Nov 2010

This game will live long in the memory - On several occasions during the drive from London to Oxford I considered not bothering with this one, but am glad I did. As a special treat to Longeaton Gull I even stayed to the end! Oxford started like a team with a makeshift defence who had recently been hammered 5-0. For ten minutes I thought it was going to be a breeze - Rose and Zebs had the beating of their men and their defence looked shaky with crosses into their box - hence our first goal from a whipped in Nicholson free kick after Rose had been pulled back.

Oxford then came back into in and had already cut us apart a couple of times before Macklin got himself sent off. He'd shown a couple of nice turns only to let himself down with poor touches. Then, right in front of the ref he kicked out at an Oxford player after a tussle for the ball near the far touchline. Had an Oxford player done the same in fornt of us we'd have been screaming for him to go - there is no point blaming the ref in that situation - Macklin was stupid to give him a decision to make.

From then on until half time, it was wave after wave of Oxford attack with our left being overun. Anyone who went to the Burnley play off away match years ago or the Wolves sherpa van semi will have a good idea of what it was like . On another night Constable would have scored 4 by HT, but Bevs was suberb with one save inparticular which looked world class. I too was suprised to see Rose go off, but Bucks had to do something and was proven correct in the second half.

The second half was a very open game with Oxford forcing corner after corner, but failing to draw level and us creating chance after chance - we had two on ones, three on ones, but didn't make the most of them - although we at least forced their keeper into saves. It could have ended up 5-5.

I was impressed by the way Kee retained posession and brought others into the game in the closing stages. He had the game on a plate three times and missed each chance - then he put the hardest one of all away and you could see what it meant to him.

It may be that last night will be worth far more than 3 points to the team in terms of confidence and team spirit. To a man every squad member appeared delighted for Billy Kee - Benyon and Potter raced to congratulate him at the final whistle. Wroe also looked fully committed to the cause - I thought he was excellent last night. He was crucial in us retaining posession and give the defence a breather. He looked back to his best last night. \it seems unfair to mention only one or two players - Manse, Branston, Ellis, Zebs Oastler and Benyon all put terrific shifts in. Best game I have been to in a long time.