Save Oxford United  ->  Matches 00/01  ->  19 August 2000
Port Vale (Away)


 
RESULT 3 - 0 to the Valiants.
TEAM
Knight 
Robertson, Richardson, McGuckin, McGowan
Murphy, Tait, Fear, Powell
Lilley, Omoyinmi
SUBS Anthrobus (for McGuckin, 33)   [back injury]
Beauchamp (for Fear, 68)
Cook (for Lilley, 68)
Jarman, Wilson (not used)
GOALS 1 - 0 Naylor (28) - Viljanen's shot hit the bar, and Naylor was there to follow it up.
2 - 0 Bridge-Wilkinson (65) - An unstoppable 12 yard volley into the roof of the net.
3 - 0 Bridge-Wilkinson (67) - Cut inside from the left and hammered it home from 30 yards. Excellent goal.
PERFORMANCE Terrible from Oxford, and Vale, who hit the woodwork four times, could easily have added more goals.
MAN OF MATCH Richard KNIGHT - Pulled off some excellent saves to keep the scoreline vaguely respectable.
BOOKINGS None.
ATTENDANCE 3,814.
REFEREE Michael Ryan (Preston)
REPORTS Oxford sites
From The Terrace
Official Site   ("United thrashed")
OUFC Info Centre   ("Oxford Sink 3-0")
Rage Online   ("Are you last season in disguise?")
Port Vale sites
One Vale Fan   ("Debut day")
Football sites
Football News
SoccerNet
Sportsline
TeamTalk   ("Half-hearted Oxford stumble")
Newspapers
Oxford Mail   ("United hit rock bottom ")
Stoke Sentinel   ("Marc of class gives Vale welcome win")



TEAMTALK

         Half-hearted Oxford stumble
         Two wonder strikes from debut hero Marc Bridge-Wilkinson helped Vale
         demolish a lacklustre Oxford United side.
         The 21-year-old Bridge-Wilkinson, a free transfer summer signing from
         Premiership side Derby County, had the crowd on their feet when he
         acrobatically volleyed home Ville Viljanen's cross on 65 minutes.
         Just two minutes later he doubled his tally when he cut in from the left and
         unleashed an unstoppable 25-yard curling effort.
         Earlier, striker and man-of-the-match Tony Naylor gave Vale the lead on 29
         minutes. The veteran forward had the simple task of prodding the ball home
         after Viljanen's initial shot rebounded to him off post and upright.
         The score was kept respectable by Oxford 'keeper Richard Knight, who pulled
         off no less than six fingertip saves.
         Oxford were forced to defend for most of the match but did have a chance as
         early as the second minute, when Paul Powell raced through Vale's defence
         but put his shot wide.
         Powell came close again in the 58th minute when he latched onto Peter Fear's
         cross, but his header was saved at full stretch by Vale 'keeper Mark Goodlad.


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