Oxford United suffered a first away defeat in three months as Karl Robinson’s side lost 2-0 at Lincoln City.
The U’s fell behind five minutes before half time before Cameron Brannagan was substituted shortly after with an injury. The hosts added a second after the restart while Herbie Kane was sent off for a challenge with 15 minutes remaining.
Here are three talking points from the game.
Off Day
It is ok for teams to have an off day and Lincoln’s league position doesn’t reflect the way they play or their unfortunate cases with injuries and Covid. That said, it was still a poor performance from the U’s.
Both goals were preventable, with Anthony Scully allowed far too much room down Lincoln’s left for the opener before debutant Morgan Whittaker scored a second when the Oxford defence paused in the build-up.
The fluidity of passing wasn’t there, along with a lack of finishing in the final third. Lincoln deserved their win and Oxford missed the chance to move up to fifth in League One.
Midfield Depleted
With Brannagan and Kane in the middle of the park, there isn’t usually anything to worry about. However, the former was substituted before the break after he went down in the build-up to the Imps’ opening goal before Kane was dismissed for a 50/50 challenge, although it yet could be rescinded.
In a game like that, Alex Rodriguez Gorrin was a noticeable absentee but it’s unlikely that we will see him again this season.
Marcus McGuane is likely to partner Mark Sykes against Wycombe next weekend while the timing of James Henry’s return could also be crucial. Despite that, losing two key players could be a huge blow.
Players Need a Rest
Matty Taylor and Steve Seddon are two players that are crying out for a rest, but they are also the two areas of the pitch that Oxford lack cover.
In attack, Dan Agyei is still receiving from Covid and hasn’t performed anywhere near his capabilities this season while Sam Winnall has missed much of the season through injury and is yet to take his opportunity.
It’s the same story at left-back with Seddon the only recognised player for the role. Of course, Sam Long could switch and Robinson could bring Anthony Forde to the right side of defence but then it unbalances the squad. Even with that option, Long has looked wide of the mark in recent weeks and could also benefit from a break.
