The week unwrapped

It ain’t fiction, just a natural fact, we come together ’cause opposites attract.

If this is true, and if Paula Abdul says it is, who are we to doubt her? Then Oxford United have truly manifested it this week.

At one end of the spectrum was a highly encouraging 1-0 win over Derby last Saturday which was both threatening in attack and assured in defence. The return of Ciaron Brown, the raiding menace of Stan Mills, we looked like a side finding its feet, ready to pull away from the relegation zone.

And then, the polar opposite, the same starting eleven faced off against content creators Wrexham at the Racecourse three days later and lumbered their way to a frustrating 1-0 defeat.

What possessed them? Were they star struck? Certainly Cameron Brannagan looked like he was auditioning for the role of World’s Thickest Footballer when he cannoned a simple back pass to Jamie Cumming in the opening minutes. Don’t worry Cam, if Rob and Ryan don’t call, Dion Dublin’s been on the phone, he wants you to feature in his new DVD – Dion Dublin’s Football’s Most Hilarious Backpasses. 

Both Jackyl and Hyde, or maybe Paul and Barry Chuckle, head for Hillsborough on Saturday to face crisis club Sheffield Wednesday. And you know how that’s going to turn out, don’t you?

Owlfacts

The omnishambolic Sheffield Wednesday look set to be this season’s whipping boys. After months of ownership wrangles, financial problems and unpaid wages, the club is on its knees. Fans have started boycotting games at Hillsborough to force owner, canned tuna magnate Dejphon Chansiri, to sell up and ship out. Until that happens, the future of the club looks increasingly bleak.

It’s all manifesting itself on the pitch; they’re bottom of the table, the average age of their squad is less than 23 and their only signings during the summer were teenagers on free transfers. They did manage to hold onto Barry Bannan, their midget midfield maestro, but at 35, even his powers are waning. 

Their most recent signing is loanee goalkeeper Joe Lumley, who was brilliant in Absolutely Fabulous and similarly impressive in Wednesday’s 1-0 defeat to Middlesborough in midweek. 

On Friday, Wednesday were placed in administration with HMRC set to issue a winding up order. To add to their plight, they’re now subject to an automatic 12 point reduction. Although, to be honest, that’s the least of their worries right now.

A guaranteed three points then, right? You bet your life it’s not. Nothing is guaranteed in this, or any other game, when it comes to Oxford United.

Good fact: Dejphon Chansiri’s father Kraisorn made his fortune in canned tuna after partnering with Cheng Niruttinanon to form Thai Union Frozen in 1977. Cheng’s son, Narin was previously co-owner of Reading with former Oxford owner Sumrith ‘Tiger’ Thanakarnjanasuth. Perhaps Dejphon just needs to put on a bow-tie and have a crafty fag with the fans outside Hillsborough to win them over. Or maybe they could produce a rousing song as good as the one they made when they were at Reading.

Football friend | Chey Dunkley

Anyone who remembers Michael Appleton’s reign as Oxford manager will think of it as a wild celebration as we transformed into a modern football club. And yet, it was also a time of curious signings.

In that context, Chey Dunkley’s signing from Kidderminster Harriers in November 2014 seemed unremarkable. With an established centre-back partnership of Johnny Mullins and Jake Wright, Dunkley seemed to be a backup at best.

He wasn’t a normal footballer, he combined playing with studying for a university degree, and had a self-deprecating confidence. At one point, when he was struggling for games, he described himself as the club mascot because he spent most of his time encouraging the team from the sidelines. 

The start of the 2015/16 season, Mullins and Wright were the first-choice centre-back pairing. A good start to the season meant they looked solid until we travelled to Bristol Rovers at the beginning of September. Dunkley came in for Mullins but looked nervous and could have been sent off. A wonder strike from Kemar Roofe settled the game and Dunkley’s nerves.

Slowly, Dunkley established himself when Wright was injured. When fit again, Mullins stepped aside leaving Dunkley to develop a dominant partnership with the Oxford captain. A run of seven wins in eight cemented him as a first-team regular as Oxford progressed to the semi-final of the EFL Trophy and the 4^thRound of the FA Cup.

With Jake Wright struggling with a back injury, as the season reached its climax Dunkley and Mullins became Appleton’s first-choice. When Wright returned, the manager tried to accommodate all three, but for the EFL Trophy final against Barnsley at Wembley, Dunkley and Mullins started with Wright still struggling. Oxford dominated the first half with Dunkley making a memorable Cruyff turn in the Barnsley box. Leading at half time, we were overhauled in the second, with Dunkley scoring an unfortunate own-goal.

The final run-in saw Wright return, but Dunkley’s dominance was so great that Mullins stepped aside again. A win against Wycombe on the last day of the season, with Dunkley blasting his way through a crowd of players to open the scoring, brought a much deserved promotion to League One.

Over the summer, there was an unexpected reshuffle, Mullins was released and Aaron Martin signed. Then Appleton landed Curtis Nelson leaving him with overloaded with centre-backs. It was a testament to Dunkley’s progress that Wright was considered surplus to requirements.

Oxford consolidated in League One, doing the double over Swindon, reaching the EFL Trophy final again and destroying Newcastle in the FA Cup. Only John Lundstram played more games. If the story arc of the Appleton era was typified by one player it was Chey Dunkley.

Inevitably, when his contract was up there was plenty of interest in Dunkley’s signature. The lure of the Championship was too great and he signed for Wigan before joining Sheffield Wednesday three years later.

From the archive | Sheffield Wednesday 1 Oxford United 2 (2021)

The football fans’ id is huge, no team ‘does it the hard way’ like your team. Football is full of landmines – ex-players, bogey teams, players who ‘always score against us’, goalkeepers who ‘always have a worldie’.

You never think that we might hold a hex over another team, but it turns out we tend to haunt Sheffield Wednesday’s nightmares.

2020/21 saw the return of crowds after the Covid lockdown. We’d snuck into the play-offs at the end of the previous season but were outclassed by Blackpool. The new season saw contrasting fortunes, unbeaten at home, but by October we’d only taken a point on the road.

Sheffield Wednesday had been relegated the previous season joining a number of teams in League One with perceptions of being too big for the lower leagues. Despite the expectation, Wednesday’s attempt at returning to the big time had been similarly patchy.

There was a further complication in the run up to the game, in the days immediately before the game there were reports of shortages of fuel at garages around the country. It triggered a period of panic buying, long queues and ultimately shortages at the pumps. The government were at pains to say that there was no lack of supply, but with its credibility shot to pieces due to covid and Brexit, nobody believed them.

So, heading to Sheffield for the Wednesday game was a risk on all fronts.

Oxford created the earliest chance with Herbie Kane pulling the strings in midfield, Matt Taylor threaded the ball just past the post. A minute later Marvin Johnson was robbed by Kane who fed Cameron Brannagan to drive in at the near post for 1-0.

Oxford continued to threaten, but with Barry Bannan a constant box of tricks, Wednesday were always dangerous. The Wednesday talisman nearly brought his side level with Jack Stevens tipping over his fierce drive.

But, Oxford continued to threaten; within seconds of the start of the second half, Taylor nearly doubled Oxford’s lead before Brannagan narrowly fired wide from 35 yards. If anything, Oxford looked most likely to extend their lead.

Then, with 17 minutes to go, Marvin Johnson found Callum Patterson on the back post for the equaliser. It was absolutely typical, the display deserved three points, and we were going to go home with one at best.

As Wednesday pushed for a winner, in the final moments Oxford broke clear, Nathan Holland fed the ball out to Steve Seddon whose cross was picked up by James Henry. Henry, in a single fluid movement, flicked the ball, span and placed it beyond the Sheffield Wednesday keeper’s right-hand with the flick of his boot. The three points were fully deserved, Henry majestic Bergkamp-esque finish capping a brilliant performance.