3rd December 2000
3rd December 2000 Oldham raced into the lead within 47 seconds as a long free-kick was headed on twice and Carlo Corazzin volleyed in from ten yards. They could have had two more, but then handed Oxford their first equaliser when Shaun Garnett's error led to him upending Philip Gray. Gray sent goalkeeper Gary Kelly the wrong way from the penalty spot but it was Oldham who had the better chances through Tony Carss and the lively Craig Dudley before half time. They made their domination tell after 51 minutes when Dudley picked out David Eyres to the left of goal and the midfielder cracked home his shot from 12 yards. Spirited Oxford refused to lie down however, and John Richardson had his header cleared off the line by Mark Innes. Innes turned villain after 66 minutes when Oxford sub Emmanuel Omoyimni sent over a low cross from the left and the Oldham full-back sliced his clearance into his own net from virtually on the line.
It could have gone either way as Oldham were rocked but they found the perfect response a minute later. The winner arrived from the trusty left boot of Eyres, who swung a deep corner to the far post. Typically of their season, Oxford's defending was all at sea as right-back Paul Jones was allowed to appear at the far post unchallenged and tap in from a couple of yards.
Oxford Mail
United are a defensive disaster
OXFORD United failed to take advantage of two gift-wrapped goals as they produced another shocking defensive display to slide to defeat at Boundary Park on Saturday.Without a victory in their previous 13 visits to Oldham and on the back of a wretched record in Division 2 this season, the omens weren't good for David Kemp's side. It was imperative they got off to a good start, but exactly the reverse happened. With only 47 seconds on the clock, United were caught napping as Oldham goalkeeper Gary Kelly's free kick from his own half was flicked on by Craig Dudley and Carlo Corazzin lifted his shot past Richard Knight into the far corner. It could have been worse for United minutes later when John Robertson missed his kick, leaving Corrazin to race down the left flank, only to pull the ball back behind the onrushing Dudley. United suffered a further setback when Derek Lilley pulled up feeling his hamstring after screwing a shot wide of the far post, and was replaced shortly afterwards by Manny Omoyinmi. David Eyres was giving John Robertson a torrid time on the flank, and it took a good header from Keith Brown to clear the ball away from the lurking Corazzin before the Canadian international headed just over from another cross.
The Canadian international then headed over from another Eyres cross after the wideman's trickery had left Robertson on the seat of his pants. But then Oxford were thrown a lifeline when Shaun Garnett clumsily barged over Phil Gray in the penalty area as he was going away from goal. Rotherham referee Howard Webb had no hesitation in pointing to the spot and Gray got up to fire his penalty low into the net, sending Kelly the wrong way, for his first goal for the club. Lifted by the goal, United pushed forward and Kelly came off his line to save at Matt Murphy's feet. But Oxford continued to look shaky at the back and Richard Knight was forced to back-pedal to clutch Tony Carss's effort under his bar. Carss went close again with a shot which flew wide after taking a deflection and there was another narrow escape for United when the dangerous Dudley chipped the ball over a static Oxford defence and Eyres ran through to lift his shot over Knight, but also just wide of the far post.
As half-time arrived, it was hard to believe Oxford were on level terms. Knight saved well from Dudley early in the second half. But in the 52nd minute United's defence did a Lord Lucan – disappeared without trace – as Dudley slipped the ball across the edge of the penalty area for Eyres to stride forward and blast a shot past Knight from 12 yards. But then Oxford had their best spell of what was a desperately poor quality game. Gray dragged a shot wide of the far post from the edge of the area, and substitute Paul Powell had a low shot turned past the post by Kelly. From the resulting corner, taken by Joey Beauchamp, Jon Richardson's powerful header was headed off the line by Mark Innes. But from being his side's saviour, Innes then handed Oxford a 68th-minute equaliser with a comical own goal. Keith Andrews picked out the lively Omoyinmi in the Latics penalty area, and with Scott McNiven giving him space to turn, he fired over a low cross which Innes smashed into his own net from a yard out.
It looked as if fortune may be smiling on United, but within a minute they were behind again. Eyres whipped over a corner from the right and Jones got in front of Robertson at the far post to bundle the ball home. Knight then made a great save to turn Eyres' blistering 20-yard drive round the post before Corazzin shot wide with the United defence day dreaming again. Oxford brought on defender Wayne Hatswell, their new £35,000 signing from Forest Green Rovers, up front in a bid to snatch an equaliser. And they almost did it in injury time when Richardson climbed well to meet Beauchamp's free kick, but Kelly clutched his header on the line.
Sporting Life Saturday Review
Rotherham claimed a thrilling late victory against Millwall to go second in Division Two. Alan Lee grabbed an 87th-minute winner as the Lions, who had started the day atop the league, fell victim to a superb comeback by the hosts. After a goalless first half, David Artell broke the deadlock for the Millers with a strike four minutes after the interval, only for Steven Reid to reply twice within the next 13 minutes. Lee though equalised after 70 minutes and then snatched all three points with the winner three minutes from time.
Walsall became the new leaders as Dean Keates' 50th-minute penalty proved the difference over Port Vale at the Bescot Stadium. Pedro Mathias had given the hosts a 35th-minute advantage and George O'Callaghan's late consolation for the visitors proved not enough to deny the Saddlers a return to the summit. Keates' day was soured in the last minute however when he was sent off.
Oldham came out on top in their relegation battle against bottom side Oxford United at Boundary Park. Carlo Corrazzin handed the hosts a perfect start with a goal after barely two minutes, but United hit back before half-time with a Phil Gray penalty. David Eyres restored Latics' lead after 52 minutes and then, after Mark Innes had put through his own net, Paul Jones grabbed the winner 60 seconds later.
Third-placed Wigan were held to a 2-2 draw against Brentford after a late equaliser from Andrew Scott. Lee Ashcroft's double looked set to earn the Latics' all three points at Griffin Park, but Paul Evans' 69th-minute penalty set up Scott to earn a point late on.
Bristol City overran Bury 4-1 at Ashton Gate with second-half goals from Louis Carey, Tony Thorpe, Simon Clist and Scott Murray, while neighbours Rovers ground out a goalless draw at Swansea.
Wycombe were shocked at home by Bournemouth, for whom Carl Fletcher scored twice and Jermaine Defoe added another to complete an excellent 3-0 result.
Stoke's miserable week ended with a 3-1 home defeat at the hands of second-from-bottom Luton. After their 8-0 demolition by Liverpool on Wednesday, the Potters' looked short of confidence and went down to Paul McLaren's effort and a Peter Thomson brace. Reading eased to a 3-0 triumph at home to Cambridge, while Peterborough handed a 1-0 loss to Wrexham thanks to Leon McKenzie's first-half goal.
Colchester beat Notts County 2-0 thanks to goals from Chris Keeble and Barry Conlon, and there was a rare away win for Swindon, 1-0 at Northampton.
| Team | P | Home | Away | Pts | Goal
Diff |
||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | D | L | F | A | W | D | L | F | A | ||||
| Walsall | 20 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 25 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 12 | 10 | 41 | 18 |
| Rotherham | 20 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 23 | 15 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 9 | 40 | 12 |
| Millwall | 20 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 18 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 20 | 14 | 39 | 19 |
| Wigan | 20 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 5 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 13 | 11 | 39 | 11 |
| Reading | 19 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 32 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 35 | 18 |
| Bristol City | 19 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 20 | 11 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 11 | 5 | 31 | 15 |
| Stoke | 19 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 14 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 16 | 14 | 30 | 7 |
| Wycombe | 20 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 16 | 11 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 30 | 2 |
| Northampton | 19 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 11 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 11 | 10 | 28 | 0 |
| Peterborough | 20 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 16 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 16 | 27 | -2 |
| Wrexham | 20 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 14 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 20 | 19 | 26 | -3 |
| Cambridge Utd | 20 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 19 | 13 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 11 | 18 | 24 | -1 |
| Colchester | 20 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 11 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 24 | -3 |
| Bury | 19 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 15 | 24 | -9 |
| Notts County | 19 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 12 | 13 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 9 | 18 | 24 | -10 |
| Bristol Rovers | 19 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 18 | 10 | 23 | 4 |
| Brentford | 17 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 12 | 15 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 12 | 23 | -8 |
| Bournemouth | 19 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 20 | 16 | 22 | 5 |
| Oldham | 19 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 13 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 18 | 22 | -9 |
| Port Vale | 18 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 17 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 16 | 20 | -3 |
| Swindon | 20 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 19 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 18 | 20 | -18 |
| Swansea | 19 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 15 | 19 | -6 |
| Luton | 19 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 9 | 15 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 11 | 18 | 15 | -13 |
| Oxford Utd | 20 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 12 | 31 | 8 | -26 |