When talking about previous meetings between Oxford United and Swindon Town, it feels like talking about an episode of Friends.
Remember when the U’s beat Swindon in the FA Cup? The one where Basham did or did not touch it. Remember when the U’s beat Swindon in 2012? The one with Paolo Di Canio kneeling down. Remember when Lawrence Vigouroux crumbled under pressure? Well, that could be from many games in all fairness.
This morning, I was looking back at the current squad and previous A420 derbies. Of the Oxford team, only Josh Ruffels, Simon Eastwood and Rob Hall have been part of these fiery events. It was when looking back at these games that I asked: what number in the row was the one where Chris Maguire ruffled some feathers?
Surprisingly, given the fact the Ruffels has made 280 appearances for the U’s since his arrival in 2013, he has only made two derby appearances and one of those was as a 90th-minute substitute. He was an unused substitute when the sides last met in 2017 but played the entire match during the goalless draw when the sides met in the one that no one cared about as a result of the change of format to the Football League Trophy. He also missed a decisive (or indecisive) spot-kick in the shootout as Swindon EARNED THE WIN! His 90th-minute sub appearance came during the one where Kemar Roofe netted twice, replacing the goalscorer.
Simon Eastwood has been involved in three derbies, but unlike Ruffels, has been heavily involved (probably because he is a goalkeeper.) He made his derby debut in 2016, keeping a clean sheet during the one where Chris Maguire ruffled some feathers – part one. He started the following game, the goalless draw that no one has actually counted, before saving two penalties in the shootout, that was irrelevant. His most recent appearance came in the last meeting three years ago. It was the first time the Robins had scored against the U’s in six meetings, but it didn’t matter as the U’s won 2-1.
Jack Stevens has been an unused substitute for the cup game in 2015 and the league tie at the County Ground in 2017. It looks likely the academy graduate will be on the bench again this weekend.
Of Rob Hall’s 24 Oxford goals, there is one that sticks out in the memory for a number of reasons. In his first derby match, the U’s had levelled through Liam Sercombe having been one goal down at the break, but three minutes after the equaliser, Hall unleashed a pile driver into the top corner in front of the travelling yellow army to send the crowd into raptures. In what goes down as the one where Hally smashed one top bins, it extended the U’s unbeaten run against Swindon to eight games, including seven wins.
With Hall likely to miss out, Eastwood and Ruffels look set to start. Alongside the duo will be Sam Long, Matty Taylor and Jordan Obita, with the three Oxford-born players playing in their first A420 derby. In the future, we could refer to Saturday’s game as the one where the locals made it eight in a row.
