There were scenes of celebration as Oxford United won 3-1 at Walsall on Saturday.
Down to ten men after a red card for Marcus Browne, United dug deep and goals from Luke Garbutt and Jerome Sinclair left them with 52 points and almost guaranteed safety for the U’s
“A last minute goal again!” Karl Robinson laughed when he spoke to iFollow. “But we already had the game won by then and the players were magnificent, as were the fans behind the goal as well. Hopefully we can use that and move on to next Saturday. I told them before the game that if they won they would have four days off, and let me tell you, they deserved it today. They worked their socks off and couldn’t have given any more.”
United’re resilience was plain to see after Browne’s dismissal right on half time.
“I think when you approach the player in that fashion you ask the ref a question” Karl admitted “but at half time there was no ranting or raving, it was all about conserving the energy for the second 45 minutes.
“We had two shapes, one if it stayed at 1-1 and then we had a way of twisting it if the game went 2-1 and we had to chase it. We had two very clear game plans. You learn all the time and learn little tricks of the trade and we didn’t lose any defensive shape because of the card and didn’t have a numerical disadvantage in those areas, we just needed to be able to pick then off when we won the ball back.”
There was even a second red card for the U’s, this time to sub Ahmed Kashi for celebrating Sinclair’s 95th minute clincher.
“I took him off so he didn’t get sent off, then there he was running round the pitch swinging his shirt round his head and looking bewildered when he got sent off! But how good was it to see him, Jordan Graham showing that emotion and Jerome Sinclair and Luke Garbutt there with the fans; these are loan players but they care so much, it just shows the togetherness and how much it means to every one of them.”
See the full interview plus Highlights, all in iFollow.