The 'Oxford way' wins through against brutish Northampton

An early Christmas present was offered to Oxford in the form of out of shape Northampton on Tuesday night.

Four goals, three points and a clean sheet an almost perfect way for Karl Robinson’s men to head into the festive period.

Although it was an injury and suspension-hit Northampton side, great credit does have to be given to Robinson’s men whose desire to stick to their game plan led to an emphatic second half performance.  

With the Cobblers taking much of the pace out of the game in the first period, it looked as though Oxford would be sucked into a physical battle with Keith Curle's men – not a good sign when playing the team who have won the second most aerial duels in the division.  

And this showed in the first 45, as Northampton dominated in most aerial statistics, stopping United getting any momentum in the game. 

During the First Half

A change in momentum

United set about rectifying this in the second half, and the intensity of their passing and movement proved too much for the Cobblers.

Oxford made 268 passes in the second half compared to just 161 in the first.

They also dramatically decreased their long ball percentage in the second period, with just 24 long balls being played in between 244 short passes.  

Their passing accuracy also increased by 8% after the break as well as having over 10% more possession in the second half than the first.

Finding the midfield

One of the reasons United needed to change the dynamic of the game was to get the midfield on the ball.

Liam Kelly was a virtual bystander in the first half and Marcus McGuane was limited to brief glimmers, but they would prove pivotal in turning the tide for Oxford in the second 45.  

The three in midfield made 74 passes in the second half compared to 55 in the first, and they also dramatically increased the number they made in the opposition’s third.

The United midfielders also made only one key pass in the first half, but they had managed to quadruple that number by the end of the game, even Alex Gorrin strode forward to make it a goal and an assist already this season.  

Intensity

The only reason United were able to dominate the second period in the way they did was due to the intensity of their play.

They attempted more tackles and more midfield interceptions in the second half than the first half total.

Though it was more evident in Oxford’s play when they got the ball, 71% of their total match dribbles coming in the second half, illustrating the intent Robinson sent his side out with.

They also made 44 more forward passes in the second half than in the first.

Oxford further showed their drive by more than tripling their shot tally in the second half, and their nine from outside of the area in this period showed the direct purpose United came out with, having only taken two shots from outside the 18-yard box in the first 45.

This change in intensity was visible in simply the speed Oxford looked to take throw-ins and freekicks, allowing United to showcase their strengths over a poor Northampton side.

It was always going to be a grind against a physical team like Northampton, and fans would have been worried at half time, but the desire to keep playing the Oxford way eventually got Oxford their first league win in four.