Oxford United 0-5 Bristol Rovers 

Jones

 Pethick  Trought  Tillson  Thomson  Walters

Mauge Challis  Trees  

  Ellington  Cureton

Rovers did their promotion hopes no damage yesterday, as they scored four second half goals to see of Mickey Lewis' side.

Jason Roberts and Steve Foster were both suspended for the game, but it made no difference as Rovers ran riot at the Manor Ground.

David Hillier, Simon Bryant, and David Pritchard were all out injured, leaving the midfield consisting of Ronnie Mauge, Trevor Challis and the impressive Rob Trees.

Rovers started the better of the two, and the Gas won an early free kick. Mark Walters tried to curl it beyond on-loan keeper Richard Knight, but the ball went a couple of yards wide of his right hand post.

Jamie Cureton should of made it 1-0 after 20 minutes when he was put one-on-one with the keeper, and as Cureton struck the ball, the ball hit the keepers legs, and Oxford cleared.

Rovers were finding things hard, and Jamie Cook was causing a lot of problems. His ball found Steve Anthrobus, but his header was weak, and went wide.

Rovers finally broke the deadlock after thirty minutes, when a massive goal line scramble was finally cleared, but only to the lurking Jamie Cureton, who crashed a superbly struck shot through the cluster of bodies, to make it 1-0 to the Gas.

Oxford were finding things difficult now. Rovers were rampant, and Mark Walters' cross was met by the head of Rob Trees, but as an open goal glared in front of the former Man Utd ace, he took his eyes of the ball, and somehow scooped the ball over the bar. 

Oxford came back into the game, and Jamie Cook, a recent transfer target for Rovers, had a goal disallowed, when it seemed the goal was perfectly legal.

Oxford started to use Joey Beauchamp a lot after he switched wings, and he put in some telling crosses. Matt Murphy will certainly feature in a Nick Hancock video, after his dyer miss, when Beauchamp's cross was met by the on-running Murphy, but rather than just side footing the ball in, he decided to go for more power, and consequently sent the ball over the bar, and over my head. I was halfway up the stand by the way!

HALF TIME: OXFORD UNITED 0-1 BRISTOL ROVERS

The second half saw Rovers score four goals, and completely dominating proceedings.

Oxford came out for the second half on a high, and Steve Antrobus should of equalised for United, when Beachamps cross was met by the head of the big ex Crewe striker, but the ball went well wide. Oxford supporters were not at all impressed.

Moments later, Rovers scored their second. A header from Andy Tillson was met on the line by Jamie Cureton, who toe poked it past Knight, to give Rovers some breathing space.

Rovers were brilliant on the counter attack, and Nathan Ellington had an excellent volley saved by Oxford's man of the match, Richard Knight.

Ellington then missed another chance, when he ran onto a long ball from Robbie Pethick, but the Duke's finish let a little to be desired, and the ball flew out of the ground.

Jamie Cureton was denied by the excellence of Knight in goal, as the little striker hit a shot that was acrobatically saved by the keeper.

Rovers finally finished Oxford off in the 74th minute, as the Gas scored their best goal of the season. Some excellent wing play saw Rob Trees put in Robbie Pethick, after an excellent run from the former Weymouth and Portsmouth player, and as he went one-on-one with keeper Knight, Robbie made no mistake, and put in a striker's finish to make it 3-0.

Exactly a minute later, it was four. Nathan Ellington was put in by Mark Walters, and the Duke curled it round a defender and into the corner of Knights goal. It was a superb goal by the Duke, a really well bent shot, that left the keeper with no chance.

Jamie Cureton put the nail in the coffin for Oxford on 80 minutes, when the striker, who looked so confident all match, picked up Rovers' fifth, and his third.

Oxford made a couple of substitutions near the end, with ex Leeds man Derek Lilley came on for the last 10 minutes, as did United youngster Ben Abbey.

Rob Trees could of made it six. He was just about ready to shoot when an last ditch tackle from Matt Murphy came in. It was a shame, as Trees had his best game yet for the club.

Now its onto Reading on Monday night in the Auto Windscreen's southern quarter final. And Wrexham on Saturday, at the Mem in the league.

FINAL SCORE: OXFORD 0-5 BRISTOL ROVERS

PLAYER RATINGS:
Lee Jones: (7) Trevor Challis: (7) Mark Walters: (7) Mike Trought: (8) Andy Thomson: (8) Andy Tillson: (8) Rob Trees: (8) Ronnie Mauge: (9) Robbie Pethick: (8) Jamie Cureton: (9) Nathan Ellington: (8)
SUBSTITUTE RATINGS: Stephane Leoni: (6) Michael Meaker (6)

Star Man: Jamie Cureton

REFEREE RATING: 6/10