Oxford United have reached the third round of the FA Cup thanks to a late James Henry goal at Walsall.
The midfielder, who takes his tally to ten goals for the season, has helped Karl Robinson’s side extend their unbeaten run to sixteen games in all competitions – a club record in the Football League.
Your #oufc XI this afternoon: pic.twitter.com/mfx8aBE7rF
— Oxford Mail OUFC (@OxfordMailOUFC) November 30, 2019
Robinson started with the same eleven that thumped Southend United last time out.
Simon Eastwood began in goal, with a back four of Josh Ruffels, who was making his 200th U’s appearance, John Mousinho, Rob Dickie and Chris Cadden.
Alex Rodriguez Gorrin sat in front of the defence, behind Anthony Forde and Henry. Tariqe Fosu and Mark Sykes were the wingers, with Matty Taylor leading the line.
In what was a nightmare journey with the team bus held up in traffic, the U’s started slowly on the pitch too.
But this in-form Oxford side soon asserted their authority against a side struggling in League Two and were a threat down the right through Cadden and Sykes.
Midway through the first half, Sykes saw a deflected effort hit the side netting before Fosu saw his effort blocked from the resulting corner.
The hosts responded, but Rory Gaffney saw his effort blocked by Ruffels.
At the other end, good play down the right led to another corner but Fosu didn’t strike the ball as he would have liked and was denied by Liam Roberts.
A few minutes later, the Saddlers goalkeeper denied Fosu again, this time from a decentb strike from 20-yards.
The visitors continued to dominate and had the ball in the back of the net when Taylor converted Henry’s cross, but the Bristol City loanee was offside.
Moments after the restart, Ruffels met Henry’s cross with a powerful header but was spectacularly denied by Roberts, before former U’s defender James Clarke cleared the danger.
The Saddlers should have taken the lead six minutes later but Josh Gordon fired his header wide.
United kept pressing for the opener but were unable to capitalise on numerous set pieces.
The game began to open up and it took a block from Dickie and Mousinho to deny substitute Elijah Adebayo.
A replay looked likely but with six minutes left, Taylor laid it back to Cadden whose cross was turned home by Henry.
The U’s held on to reach the third round for a second successive season, and await the third round draw which takes place Monday.
