Oxford United suffered a frustrating 2-0 defeat on the road against Accrington Stanley on Tuesday night.
Karl Robinson made three changes from the side that won against Portsmouth last time out but the U’s were unable to repeat those heroics at the Wham Stadium.
Here are three talking points from the game.
Accrington Were the Better Side
Despite sitting 15th in League One and without a win in six heading into the game, Accrington showed how much of a physical and battling side they can be.
During their recent run, John Coleman’s side picked up draws against MK Dons and Sunderland and were also unfortunate in defeat against Rotherham last time out.
However, they stopped the U’s from playing their usual style of play, won the majority of the 50/50 duels and showed more desire against a determined Oxford side.
The U’s had no answer and rarely tested the Stanley goalkeeper throughout the 90 minutes, despite seeing two attempts cleared off the line. Both of Stanley’s goals came from the edge of the box, which will also be a concern.
Didn’t Play to the Conditions
Another downfall for the U’s were the conditions. Obviously, Accrington played in the same wet and windy Wham Stadium, but the hosts dealt with them better.
Oxford were unable to get their usual passing game together and almost looked lost at times, while Stanley used the conditions for their own good.
The U’s have utilised the weather in previous home games but struggled against the Lancashire side on their own turf.
Two Goals Conceded Again
Oxford are now without a clean sheet in eight league games and while they have had little problem finding the net in most of those, the fact they are conceding regularly is a cause for concern.
Of those eight matches, Oxford have conceded twice in six of them. Fortunately, the U’s have won three of those fixtures but allowing such a number of goals could be costly come the end of the season.
Against Stanley, Robinson named a changed back four again. Luke McNally returned home following the passing of one of his close friends (our thoughts are with Luke at this time) so Ciaron Brown, who was later injured, partnered Elliott Moore in a back two with Steve Seddon and Anthony Forde as the full-backs.
It also meant that when Brown was substituted off, Robinson fielded a makeshift back three with Moore the only recognised defender on the field.
