Another home game where the main talking point is the poor performance of the referee. This time is was Graham Horwood who pulled on an Oxford shirt and helped out his new team mates.
The game hinged on a decision by Horwood in the 14th minute, he ruled that Edwards brought down Thomas as he advanced into the box and issued the red card and awarded a penalty. The decision looked very harsh and it's debatable if it was a goal scoring opportunity because Thomas was at an angle to the goal with Matthews still to beat.
Ledson converted the penalty after Edwards had walked off.
I thought the rules had changed for double jeopardy of a red card and a penalty?
Argyle should appeal the decision but as it stands it's Edwards second red card of the season and might now be suspended for four games.
It wasn't just that decision by Horwood that annoyed Argyle fans because he allowed an obvious elbow on Bradley, he allowed a two footed lunge on Sawyer and Jervis was physically assaulted everytime the ball came near him.
That said, we started slowly and Oxford had two good chances to score before Horwood took centre stage - the first was a shot deflected just wide and the second was a shot saved by Matthews.
It's a mystery why we started slowly and sat back, we were the team on an unbeaten run and playing at home while Oxford were on a poor run with four straight defeats and no wins in six games, we should have been full of confidence and pushed our game onto Oxford. Instead we let Oxford have the ball while we defended our 18 yard box.
But credit to the players because after Horwood had awarded the penalty and sent off Edwards we were the better team, we suddenly came alive and despite being one player short we put pressure on the Oxford defence. We couldn't convert the pressure into clear chances apart from a header from Jervis and a free kick by Carey but the effort of the players, especially Jervis couldn't be faulted.
For the second half Miller replaced Taylor-Sinclair and Sawyer moved to the left back position, was the move forced because of an injury to Taylor-Sinclair because the defence was completely unsettled by this substitution? It wasn't Miller's fault but having contained Oxford so well in the first half it was a strange move to replace a defender.
We did have a very good chance to equalise just after half time when a quick free kick from Fox found Jervis, he swivelled and shot wide with only the keeper to beat. If Jervis did score Horwood would have disallowed it anyway.
The miss by Jervis seemed to suck the life out of us and Oxford were now running at our defence with ease, Thomas scored a second goal for Oxford in the 52nd minute after Matthews had made a good low save. Henry made it three for Oxford and Obika made it 4-0 in the 77th minute and Home Park emptied quicker than the Scunthorpe earlier in the season that had the same result with 10 players. Oxford also hit the woodwork twice.
It was too easy for Oxford and money for old Roper.
Horwood made a pigs ear of the game but we should also look at some of the decisions by Adams.
Was Taylor-Sinclair injured? If not it was a poor decision to change a defence that was doing so well.
At 2-0 down Lameiras replaced Grant and played on the right and Carey switched to the left. Grant was having a poor game so his substitution was understandable but why choose Lameiras, who hasn't played for a while, instead of Ainsworth who had a good game last week and right wing is his natural position?
Our two natural wingers and one striker never kicked a ball in anger and we finished the game with just two shots on target. Why didn't Jervis or Fox get a well deserved rest and save them for the Tuesday game against Northampton?
Jervis had a very good game and was full of running.
Carey went missing.
The forced move of Songo'o going into defence left our midfield wide open, Grant made some promising moves and then regularly lost the ball.
Taylor-Sinclair is a good defender but once he passes the halfway line he stops and plays the ball inside instead of surging forward.
We now must beat Northampton except we don't win Tuesday league games at home.
We suffered because of a poor referee and 10 v 12 but also because we allowed a Oxford team low on confidence to dictate the early play and didn't enforce our game onto them.
Man of the Match> Jervis.
Mathews 6, Sawyer 5, Edwards 5, Bradley 7, Taylor-Sinclair 6, Songo'o 7, Fox 6, Diagouraga 6, Carey 5, Grant 5, Jervis 8. Subs Miller 5, Lameiras 5, Sarcevic 5.