SOBS: OXFORD

The Lads went away for the final time in the "regular" season, all the way to Oxford, and.. didn't. Just didn't. As bad as the defeat at Coventry was, this was equally inept against a much less talented side. If this is the momentum we're supposed be building, we'll have ground to a halt by next Saturday. 68% possession and the only thing we had on target was a late corner that the keeper tipped over. Other than that, a flying header by Rigg hit the keeper's right hand post. And that was it.

The day's other fixtures brought a quandary, thanks to my desire to see a healthier Championship next season by it becoming Luton-free (geddit?) but they were up against Coventry.... and won. Well, that's half of me happy. Ish.

The "play the preferred lineup and build momentum in the two games" was discussed, but without Mundle, Cirkin, and headachey Mayenda, that wouldn't be possible - who to pick?

We also reminisced about my first Sunderland hero, Cec - one of the first-ever overlapping fullbacks. Another sad day for SAFC as another club legend passes away.

After a quick snifter in Bicester, in came the team news:

Patterson

Hume, O'Nien Mepham, Hjelde

Neil (c) Bellingham

Roberts Isidor Le Fee

...and a bench of Moore, Cirkin, Jones, Anderson, Seelt, Aleksic, Samed, Browne, and Watson.

In the concourse (nice to get in before it went all mad) there was serious talk of the paucity of players attending the BLC Fans' Player of the Year awards. Ha'way Sunderland - make an effort!

For some (no doubt contractual) reason we lined up in the smart white away kit and attacked the end away from the non-end, and set things away - with no coloured chinos discernible in the home seats.

Two early corners were defended adequately, but we spent far too much time on the back foot. There were tasty moments, mostly from Le Fee and Neil, but the home side's deliveries - free kicks and long throws - were a constant menace. On five minutes Patto brought off a fine save at the expense of another corner, which we cleared, but as for giving their keeper problems? Not really. Not at all. Rigg fired one over, Oxford kicked us three times, we tried to hit it forward at every opportunity but we're not used to that and the home side simply mopped up what we didn't reach - which was most things.

Le Fee took a naughty clip on the heel when defending then at last there was a yellow for yet another foul on him. Their second effort on target soon followed, from a long free kick, and it was headed past Patto from near the spot. Damn.

Le Fee did manage a shot way over, then Mepham was carded for a block on the edge of our box just to make the single added minute slightly more frustrating.

Did we deserve anything from the half? Nope, despite having the majority of the ball but you have to get shots in if you're to score, and we didn't.

No changes for the second half, as you'd expect and it was more of the same. Lots of possession but mostly at least 30 yards from the home goal. Having said that, we'd only had three minutes of it when they were awarded a free kick which Patto saved low to his left - but the loose ball was whacked home for 2-0. Ten minutes later, after an all-too-brief spell of decent forward play, Rigg hoyed himself at a cross from the left but his header bonked back from the static keeper's right hand post.

... and that was just about as close as it got. Soon after that, Hjelde and Roberts made way for Cirkin and Watson. The latter took up position on the right, and did some half decent stuff before moving to the left and being much more of a pest. Le Fee tried an overhead kick which flew wide from near the penalty spot, then he made way for Samed with about 15 to go as Neil jogged off to be replaced by Browne. Hardly the attacking options required to get something but to be fair to Browne he did pile forward.

There were about six minutes added, in which we won three corners, one of which needed the keeper's intervention to get out from under the bar, but.. if you don't shoot, you don't score. And we didn't.

Lulling the other playoff contenders unto a false sense of security? If so, we're doing a damn fine job of it.

Man of the Match? After an underwhelming first half, Rigg upped his game, Neil was tidy and Watson a too-little-too-late bit of brightness late on. However, I'm giving it to Roddy the Red Kite, who showed our players how to soar past opponents today get what he (or she) wanted.

As the Stranglers said all those years ago - something better change. A thoroughly miserable afternoon's "work."