Oxford United ended 2020 on a high with another very impressive performance and a 3-2 win at Plymouth last night.
“I thought we did it the right way” Karl Robinson told iFollow. “I have watched Plymouth’s last two or three games and they have been very, very good. They have outplayed Charlton and Ipswich but I don’t think they can say that again tonight.
“We changed our system very quickly and I thought Jamie Hanson and Liam Kelly got to grips with their system quickly, I thought after we scored we had another couple of chances from Josh Ruffels and Elliott Moore and then in the second half with James Henry and a set piece before we scored the other two goals. But it’s not all about game plans it’s about desire.
“I want to mention Sean Clare, Anthony Forde, Mark Sykes and Jamie Hanson. They’ve not been in the side: I have to make decisions for the club but those players work so hard and it’s been hard for them to get in because we’ve only lost one in ten games now. Those four were outstanding and that was the big shining light for me. Dan Agyei was a threat as well and did so well that he kept Sam Winnall and Matty Taylor on the bench
“So from my point of view it was a really pleasing performance. Out of possession we got it spot on, after 20 minutes. We almost scored from three of our first four set pieces and it was attention to detail that helped. We noticed the lights are low on one side and the keepers said about it so I sprinted in before the game and asked if anyone had a long throw and we used that from that side of the pitch. It was a last minute thing but we had three or four of those, knowing we would get the ball in the box
“We have a little bit of momentum but I still think there is more to come. I think if you spoke to James Henry he would tell you that. Sam Long was outstanding and is really developing into a very good full back and is one of our own which is great.
“2020 has been hard for everyone, not just in football. A really testing time but the one thing we hope is that we can put a smile on the face of people for a few minutes. This game is the best and we came here, a long way from home and we got a result together, which will make the three hour journey home very enjoyable.”
See the full interview and extended highlights in iFollow.