Oxford United 1, Stoke City 1 STOKE City proved that Oxford United don't have a monopoly on late goals by snatching a point with a 79th-minute equaliser from Peter Thorne at a bitterly cold Manor Ground on Saturday.

Under Mickey Lewis, it's been the U's who have profited from goals in the last 15 minutes of games, but the exertions of a midweek cup-tie which went into extra time appeared to take their toll as Stoke finished much the stronger.

This Division 2 encounter had been billed along the lines of 'The Icemen Coming' after Stoke's takeover by an Icelandic consortium, and the visitors' north Europeans must have felt quite at home with a sleet storm just before kick-off and a windchill factor which left temperatures just above freezing.

Yet those spectators hoping to see a blood-and-thunder match between two in-form teams to keep them warm would have been disappointed.

There was plenty of good football on view, as both teams tried to work openings with their passing, but defences were on top and clear-cut chances were few and far between. Oxford, like Stoke on an eight-game unbeaten streak going into the match, were defensively solid.

Ross Weatherstone gave a fine display on his home debut, while Phil Whelan and Mark Watson benefited from having Les Robinson as effectively an extra defender in front of them to keep the dangerous Thorne and lively Kyle Lightbourne at bay.

But the home side found creating good chances an entirely different matter.

Rob Folland broke free on the right in one early raid, but he sent his cross straight into the arms of keeper Gavin Ward.

The Potters were resticted to long-range shots, Lightbourne and Graham Kavanagh trying their luck from distance without any joy, before Joey Beauchamp fired United in front in the 27th minute with his fifth goal of the season.

Folland was the provider with a pass from the right, and Beauchamp then drilled a shot from 16 yards which deflected off Anders Jacobsen on its way past Ward. The confidence flowed after that breakthrough. Steve Anthrobus let fly with a 25-yard shot which the keeper caught but then dropped, and from a corner, Weatherstone headed back across the goal only to see Derek Lilley wayward with his header at goal.

Lightbourne was proving a threat in the air but he headed one golden chance wide, and then put another header over just before the break.

United settled for trying to protect their lead rather than add to it in the second half, although Beauchamp twice attacked the Stoke defence with pace and purpose.

He embarked on one brilliant run, holding off three challenges, but when he crossed from near the left bye-line, Jacobsen was in the perfect place to block and then clear.

The turning point for Stoke came when they brought on former Sweden international Mikael Hansson on 56 minutes. He added a bit of class and United started getting pushed back further and further. Tiredness was also creeping in, with the midfielders unable to make their normal runs to support the increasingly isolated front men.

Beauchamp struck a venomous 30-yard drive on the hour, but Ward got down to save to his right.

As Stoke pressed hard for an equaliser, Mark Watson made a vital last-ditch tackle on Thorne.

But it was no surprise when City did at last level with 11 minutes remaining.

Hansson provided a classy cross from the right, and Thorne rose high above Watson to plant a header into the corner of the goal.

Watson, his back troubling him, left the field a few minutes later.

Stoke gained their first corner of the match with two minutes left, but that was not a fair reflection on the play. For their second-half control, they probably deserved the point.

Story date: Monday 06 December

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