Terriers Edged Out In Seven Goal Thriller

Thirteen-man Terriers travelled to joint second place side Oxford 8 knowing this would be a tough game, and without their talismanic striker Dominic Harvey who had been struck low with illness.

Unfortunately knowing and doing are two different things and the Terriers struggled to match Oxford’s intensity in the first half. It was apparent from the first whistle that the Terriers defensive shape was leaking all over the pitch and failing to cope with Oxford’s movement and passing game. Although some inroads were made in possession it was almost inevitable the Oxford would get the first goal. Some hope came from an almost immediate riposte with a sweetly struck shot into the bottom right hand corner of Oxford's goal as Austin Jennings finished off a good Terrier’s move to level the score. But the recovery was short lived and for the first time this season Marcus Bown in the Terrier’s goal was the far busier keeper. Oxford got three more un-responded goals before the turn round, none of them were things of beauty but it was inarguable that they were on the front foot.

Oxford could have been forgiven for thinking they had put the game to bed, if they did, they were wrong, after a collective recognition that each individual could up their game a somewhat different proposition was placed before them for the second period. For the entire period Oxford were restricted to sporadic breaks and now it was the Terriers who were out-running, out-thinking and out-playing Oxford. Even before the Terriers second goal five fine opportunities came and went, but it was left for Duncan Wiggett to begin the fightback as he sent a cruise missile of a shot into the backboard from a slightly mis-placed short corner injection.

Alex Fox-Harvey, Monty Neave and Alexander O’Keefe were the catalysts for the Terriers incisive play and they were encouraged by the movement of the forwards Austin Jennings and Robbie Campion. The Terriers continued to ratchet up the pressure, and as the ball was recycled at the half way line, it was Monty Neave who dazzled with a run into the D, where he pirouetted like a young Anton Du Beke before standing the keeper up and hooking the ball through his legs.

The siege continued with chances coming thick and fast, even when Oxford broke, they would flounder on the imperious Julian Chapman who gave an exemplary lesson in how to turn defence into attack. On this occasion it wasn’t to be and despite creating enough chances to run out clear winners the Terriers ran out 4:3 losers.

This season has found the Terriers in and extremely competitive league with no side unable to put in very competitive performances. This is exactly the right of environment for the young Terriers to learn their game and the second half of today’s match shows that they are willing to learn and they have the steel to respond when put under extreme pressure.