FA Cup Round 3: Saturday 3 January 1998 Leeds United 4 - 0 Oxford United (Half-time: 2 - 0) Crowd: 20568 Referee: M D Reed (Birmingham)
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vs Oxford - Nick Allen

Lucas Radebe-debe
Lucas Radebe-debe

The King has scored, in his 93rd game for Leeds - which is nice.

As my mate said after the game, it was just like football in the old days - shit weather, soaking wet through, playing badly, against appaling opposition and still winning, bovril at half time, silly scuffles on the pitch, and an announcement that somebodies wife had just given birth to a healthy bouncing babe while hubby was at the game - traditional 3rd round day dontcha just love it.

What else the sendings off - there's was justified, the guy had just been booked, and 2 mins. later he goes and follows through with his studs on The Regal One - not KOT - just as Lucas has volleyed a clearance- its a yellow card offence, he's very stupid and he's off. Martyn - well this is joke of the year - this am.s Guardian no less reckons that if this was really a sending off then tomorrows front page news will be that Paddington Bear is a serial killer.

The goals :

1. Lucas' stooping header at the front post from a Kelly corner - followed by a huge beaming smile from the man, and me and my mate pointing at the scoreboard as the words "GOAL, scored by... Lucas Radebe" flash up.

2. Wallace "scythed" down - strangely just like 2 vs Villa that weren't given - penalty. Jimmy and Harry "discuss" who'll do the honours - Jimmy buries it. At least his cartwheels are getting better with practice.

3. Harry couple of little shimmies and steps-over the ball followed by a shot from the top left hand corner of the box, bottom corner.

4. about 30 seconds later Harry picks up the ball in midfield, some swift passing with Rod and he's through and slots it home.

All-in-all fair enough, they were poor, their sending off didn't help them, and their No.3 was a comedy turn right out of the Robertson mould. Just a shame Davey-boy wasn't playing, what a clash of the titans that would have been.

POINTS

MARTYN -8- some supperlative saves before the dickhead in black got involved
MAYBURY -8- excellent game, pace, commitment, and comfortable on the ball.
HALLE -7- at LBack... yeah not bad all told
WETHERALL -7- Capt. again - solid.
MOLENAAR -7- best he's played this season,
For all the defence though this was Oxford and not Scum, so let's not get carried away.
KELLY -6- fitful
BOWYER -8- again his best game of the season, involved in everything.
RADEBE -11- AS PROMISED WHEN HE SCORED THAT FIRST GOAL. truth be told I think that the goal went to his head a little, not as composed as usual.
KEWELL - 6 - strangely subdued game for someone who scored 2.
WALLACE -6- lots of running, for not much reward
JIMMY -7- a little better, than Rod.
and the referee's a wanker

Lots of Things - Kev Lewis

Couldn't make the Adelphi, because of exhaust going on M1. This involved a detour into 'Kwik Fit' in Worksop!!!

It was in fact more of a 'Slow Nearly-Fit'. It now rattles like buggery. To be fair to the bloke, he said it would and that I should go into a local Kwikky to get it sorted out, as I was in a hurry.

This may have taken the edge off the day.

The game was the least fulfilling I've ever witnessed. I lost interest after about 1/2 an hour, so the report may be sketchy from that point.

The conditions were abysmal, making any passing difficult. However Oxford seemed to manage it better than Leeds. Our balls over-the-top wete either running through to their keeper, being cut out by Purse who looked a decent C Half or cleared up by Gilchrist who looked to be just as quick as either Wallace or Jimmy. Beauchamp was also causing problems to Kelly and Maybury down the Leeds right.

However Leeds' first bit of real footy produced a couple of chances and resulted in a corner which Lucas headed home.

The next 15 mins was crap. The game was then put beyond all doubt by the referee booking, then sending off Rush. I disagree with with Nick here, the 1st foul looked innocuous, the second barely worth a booking. Anyway, the game was now over as a contest, so I'd driven 200 miles for half an hour's crap footy.

Not being content with giving Leeds an unsurmountable advantage, the linesman then made sure by giving a ridiculous penalty decision. Purse clearly took the ball cleanly with Wallace tripping over his leg afterwards. I thought that at the time, and the TV replay proves me right IMO. I know that Jimmy may have had a pen earlier, and that he was kicked up in the air leading up to the penalty, but it still doesn't make that decision right.

Still at least there was going to be no upset.

At half time I joined the slowest moving pie-queue ever. Betty arrived at the adjacent queue a good 10 minutes after me, but got served 1st. No pies left, so had chips & peas, most of which went down the Royal Tunic durin th walk back to the seat laden with stuff for the prince and princess. My emergence with a tasteful green mush down the jacket amused them no end. The prince shouting for all to hear. 'Look Dad's puked again.'

The 10 mins I missed must have produced a couple of chances for Leeds, judging by crowd noise. But all I remember of the 2nd half was a good triple save by Martyn, and 2 admitedly very good goals by Kewell. However I can't help making the allowance that these were against a poor 1st div side, reduced to 10 men and already 2 goals down. Oh, and of course Martyn's sending off, when he tried to avoid the Oxford player, who pushed the ball past him, tried to jump into Martyn, missed him and fell over.

Some Scores:

Martyn. -8 I won't count the sending-off against him, cos it was a crap decision.
Maybury -5 Defensively hesitant, should have got forward to more effect when Oxford were down to 10 men.
Molenaar -7 Ok in defence, but terrible distribution.
Wetherall -7 Ditto.
Halle -6 Ditto, but you expect more from a full-back in the attacking department.
Kelly -6 Hard working, poor passing & crossing.
Bowyer -6 Can't remember him passing the ball to a Leeds player.
Radebe -7 Good goal, kept the shape well. Passed better than most. Hope GG does not F*** him about too much, by plying him in midfield, just as he's become a great defender.
Kewell -7 Not in the game for an hour, but good control, passing. Created and scored 2 good goals.
JFH -6 Never really threatened, but no service.
Wallace -5. Reverted to last season's form.

Ref 5. Terrible sending-off decisions, although the rules of the game are equally to blame. The Penalty was given by the linesman.

Crowd 6. Only got behind the team after the sending off. Lack of knowledge of the game is amazing. Many around me were saying how bad the Oxford attack was. Did they not realise that a forward will find it difficult a man down, away from home to a team a division and a half above them.

Comment.

When I go to a game (too rarely I know) I want to see a football match. If only the result is important, you might as well 'watch' the game on ceefax. I want to see Leeds win, even thrash the opposition, but only by earning their superiority, knowing they've beaten a worthwhile opposition. I actually feel cheated if the game becomes a non-contest due to a sending off. I get the feeling that the Leeds crowd (probably most home crowds) would be happier seeing a 12-0 victory every week against a team reduced to 7 men, rather than watching a keenly contested match. The 2nd half on Saturday was totally pointless.

Kewell on cue - John Wilford

Leeds who make a habit of losing to lower division teams in cup competitions sidestepped this potential banana skin with a victory more comprehensive than the score suggests.

Oxford brought about their own downfall by having a man sent off, conceding a penalty and then going on the defensive when they should have thrown caution to the winds.

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