Oxford United recorded a vital win at Wigan with second half goals from Matty Taylor and James Henry.
It was a nervy few minutes before the final whistle after Thelo Aasgaard nodded past Simon Eastwood. It didn’t matter, the U’s held on to secure an important victory.
Your #oufc team at #wafc today. pic.twitter.com/XWZXNRFnp4
— Oxford Mail OUFC (@OxfordMailOUFC) November 21, 2020
Karl Robinson made four changes from Tuesday nights defeat against Crewe. Rob Atkinson returned from injury to start in the centre of defence, while Jordan Obita started on the left of midfield. Marcus McGuane and Liam Kelly came into central midfield with Sean Clare, Anthony Forde, Mark Sykes and Mide Shodipo all dropping to the bench.
Simon Eastwood began in goal behind a back four of Josh Ruffels, Atkinson, Elliott Moore and Sam Long, who moved to the right.
Alex Rodriguez Gorrin started behind McGuane and Kelly with Obita and James Henry as the wide men. Matty Taylor started up front.
Oxford started brightly. Inside the opening two minutes, the U’s had won themselves a corner which resulted in Atkinson volleying wide.
Wigan pushed back but the ball was blocked by the U’s defence before McGuane and Kelly linked up with Taylor as the visitors countered.
Kelly then won a free-kick, and his delivery was flicked on by Atkinson but Long’s effort went over the bar.
From another set-piece, Henry whipped in a teasing ball which wasn’t dealt with but the ball hit Taylor and looped over.
Obita looked lively down there left. The wingers cross found Taylor but his effort was blocked wide.
Obita and Henry linked up well before finding McGuane but his effort from 12-yards was tipped wide by Jamie Jones. From the resulting corner, Moore headed the ball towards goal but Jones dealt with the effort.
Kelly then found Taylor but his header was sent back across goal and wide.
Midway through the half, the contest became scrappy and the U’s struggled to get onto the ball as often as they had been. A couple of half-chances came and went before Obita forced Jones into a save and Henry fired offer.
In stoppage time, Gorrin saw a deflected effort go wide and, from the resulting corner, Atkinson’s header was cleared off the line. Despite not finding the net, Robinson would have been pleased with the first-half display.
The U’s started the second half brightly. Down the left, Obita continued to threaten, but Oxford were unable to produce a final ball.
However, a fumble from Eastwood as Wigan pushed the ball up from a free-kick presented the hosts with an opportunity, which they couldn’t take.
It proved costly as Oxford found the breakthrough. McGuane found the striker inside the box and, although he had plenty of work to do, turned and struck past Jones to give the U’s a deserved lead.
The forward could have doubled his less moments later but Jones got down well to deny him. But the U’s were starting to run riot as Moore struck the post from a corner before Henry struck wide following good play from Obita.
Taylor was then denied again by Jones before the goalkeeper claimed the ball from the resulting corner.
With fifteen minutes remaining, the hosts began to add pressure. Gavin Massey hit the side netting before the Latics forced a string of corners.
Substitute Sykes burst forward from midfield, winning a free-kick 25-yards out, but fellow sub Shodipo saw his effort sail wide.
But the second came three minutes from time. Taylor found substitute Clare, who was playing as a right-winger, who then played the ball into Henry’s path to slot home a deserved second.
However, moments later, Aasgaard headed past Eastwood to ensure the run of games without a league clean sheet continued. But it didn’t matter as the U’s held on to secure a vital three points.
