Score predictions - Oxford home

Oxford are dark horses for many coming into this season. Despite a worrying start to the season, with a defeat to Cambridge, and then a drumming at Bristol City in the cup, Oxford have since experienced back to back league victories. A 1-0 home win vs Carlisle was followed up with an impressive 2-1 win away at fancied Derby.

Despite their promising return to form, the bookies have the Ox's as 5/2 outsiders for the game at Oakwell. This might be a slight hangover from last season, as its last year's 4th best home side vs the 15th best away side. Their underlying numbers last season pointed to a much stronger attacking team than their league position suggested. On average, they had 14.6 shots a game, which was the 3rd highest in the league, averaging 4.6 on target, the leagues 6th highest. This of course didn't always translate to goals. They didn't score a single goal on the counter attack all season, and had the 2nd highest number of shots from outside the penalty area in the league. They also only kept 7 clean sheets all season, with only Forest Green keeping fewer. Suggesting a wasteful attack, and a leaky defence.

This is our 14th home meeting with Oxford. We've won 10, drawn 2 and lost just 1, with that defeat coming back in 1993. We've won the last 3 meetings at Oakwell, and kept a clean sheet in the last 4, however arguably Barnsley's greatest ever team, could only manage a goalless draw with Oxford in 1996.

Despite dishing out 20 yellow cards already this season in 2 league 2 games and a cup game, referee Martin Coy has been given his first league 1 game of the season here. He last took charge of the reds last season, in our comfortable home defeat to Exeter. On that occasion, the only booking of the game was for now ex Grecians striker, Jevani Brown. He last took charge of an Oxford game in February of last year, overseeing their 2-0 away defeat at Accrington. 3 yellows were dished out that day, including to former Barnsley attacker, Ryan Williams.

I expect a tough test, and with it unlikely that Connell and O'Keeffe are back for this game, we still look a little light in depth at the minute. That said, I'm sure Collins will be looking for a reaction to the defeat to Peterborough, who we matched for a good proportion of the game on Tuesday, before our alarming collapse. I'm banking on Oxford stoll having a tendency to be leaky at the back, and goal shy up front, and going for 1-0 with Cole getting on the scoresheet early.

 

Barnsley 1-176 Oxford.

Nearly got it right Tuesday.

 

I don't expect us to keep a clean sheet. Going for a 1-1 or 1-2.

 

I think we'll win 4-2.

 

1-1 early goal then all downhill from there.

 

I think we lose 1-3

The sooner the window shuts and we can start planning properly the better.

I don’t expect to see improved performances and results until the window shuts. Obviously that’s excluding the 7-0 drubbing.

 

'Near rivals Cambridge'???

 

University rankings.

 

2-1 to the reds.

Watters and Phillips.

 

2-0 to us.

 

3-1 Reds.

 

Genuinely thought it was much closer than it is.

 

On University Challenge they are very close together.

 

7-0

 

I’m feeling like they’ll be a few goals in this. Don’t think we’ll lose, so either 3-2 us or 2-2. Cole with 2 and Watters

 

1-2.

Probably take the lead again, sit back and not mark their attackers like in the last 2 games.

Hope I'm wrong obviously!

 

2-2

Watters with 2 thunderb4st4rds before getting sent off for windmilling the Ponte end.

 

Back to winning ways with a 4 - 0 win & a harmonious BBS for a week at least.

 

5-1 to the super Reds
Quality performance after a first half of nervousness
0-1 at h/ t
Given that I never got a result right in about 5 seasons this is just a load of b@ ll@ cks