SCOTTISH defender Neil McGowan is relishing life at the Manor under new coach Mickey Lewis.

Signed from Albion Rovers earlier in the season, McGowan took time to adjust to the higher level of the English second division.

But another outstanding display in Nottingham showed that former boss Malcolm Shotton uncovered a real gem.

"I'm glad I'm getting a chance to show everybody how I can play," McGowan said.

"I'm feeling tired with a couple of games a week. The pace of the game is a lot quicker here.

"You've got to do everything a lot sharper so I'm still getting used to that, but I think I'm getting used to the players around me now and getting used to playing at this level."

The form of Albion Rovers since he left - they are now a long way adrift at the bottom of Scottish League Division 3 - indicates how valuable he was to them, and how useful he could become to Oxford. United have now gone 11 games unbeaten and they are setting their sights on the 1991 run of 15 games without defeat.

Their next match is at Bournemouth this Saturday, and the Cherries' 5-1 defeat at Notts County will not have gone unnoticed.

Story date: Monday 13 December

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