English League Two
2011-01-01 - Oxford United vs Southend United
A Sports Betting Pick by Caged
Oxford United
Home Record W5 D1 L5 GF14 GA11
Oxfords home record tells you everything you need to know about this vintage of Oxford side. Chris Wilder, in his first season as a league manager and his sides first year back in the league after a painful four year absence, has built a young, athletic, hungry but inexperienced side. With that comes mistakes, and inconsistency, but Oxford have won three in a row now after an atrocious run of results preceded that streak.
The loan signing of Steven Maclean up front has brought some much needed quality and experience to the Oxford side, as well as the January signing of veteran midfielder Paul Mclaren. Top scorer James Constable also looked to be getting back to his best against Macclesfield after a spell of illness.
That game was Oxfords first in nearly a month, and you would expect this to have blown the cobwebs away, something that cant be said of Southend.
Southend United
Away Record W3 D3 L5 GF12 GA12
Southend have a number of handicaps here.
1. They havent played for 18 days
2. They have lost their brace goalscorer from their last game (as he returns to Oxford from his loan)
3. Also recalled from loan is midfielder Josh Simpson
4. Manager Paul Sturrock is scouring the transfer market for reinforcements to bolster his thin squad enforced by financial trouble in the summer,but doesnt look to have brought anyone in in time for Oxford.
5. On top of that there are rumours of flu in the camp.
Theyve won three and lost 5 from 11 away from home, and after a enfored winter break may be looking at this game as a warm up for some key home fixtures upcoming in the next couple of weeks.
Sturrock doesnt give anyone a day off, but his quotes do appear to be lining up the excuses in advance of this one.
The odds against prices offered about the home side are a bit mysterious. Oxford were odds on at home to Macclesfield on Tuesday, a game which they won through superior finishing. Southends record and form is no better or worse than Macclesfields.
My first instinct was to bet both teams to score given Oxfords scoring strength and defensive vulnerability but with Southends situation the bigger price about the home win looks worth a risk.
Head to Heads
Oxford have the advantage at home with a W4 D0 L1 record although the sides havent met since 2005.
The Pick :
Oxford 2 Southend 1
