Oxford United 1, Millwall 3

By JON MURRAY LAST week's 3-0 win over Bristol City was made to look like a flash in the pan as United frustratingly reverted to their normal inconsistent selves with a weak defensive display at the Manor Ground on Saturday.

Trailing to a brilliant goal by the former Arsenal player Paul Shaw at the break, United did enough in the first 45 minutes to suggest they were very capable of turning the game around, and they must have fancied their chances of doing so as they attacked down the slope in the second half.

But they kept giving the ball away in midfield, allowed Paul Ifill to have a field day on Millwall's right flank and then committed elementary mistakes at the back when Ifill supplied a succession of crosses.

Shaw put Millwall two goals ahead with another fine strike and although the U's were thrown a lifeline with a penalty which Matt Murphy converted, the Lions capitalised on some slipshod defending to seal their first away win of the season with a killer third goal.

It might have been different had Oxford put away one of several opportunities they created early in the game.

Joey Beauchamp counter-attacked with menace when Paul Lundin threw the ball out to him, but even though James Lambert was in a good position and screaming for a pass, Beauchamp went it alone and got nowhere. Murphy directed a glancing header just wide from Peter Fear's corner and when news quickly spread that Sweden had taken the lead against Poland, United surely had the perfect platform to take advantage of the crowd's excitement.

But it was at the other end where it suddenly all happened, as Shaw turned to hit a magnificent right-foot shot on the turn from just inside the area after a long clearance by keeper Tony Warner came off the head of Les Robinson.

Shaw's shot was hit with such venom that although Lundin got his hand to it, the ball still went in off the inside of the post.

Skipper Robinson slipped again to let in Shaw on the edge of the area but this time Lundin saved well with his legs.

As they tried to strike back quickly, United twice went close. Warner stretched to save Derek Lilley's low cross from the left just as Steve Antrobus was ready to pounce, then Warner saved spectacularly from a cracking 25-yard drive by Lambert.

The lively Shaw brought another save from Lundin with an acrobatic overhead kick just before the break.

United huffed and puffed without producing anything in the early stages of the second half before a second classy strike from Shaw - a low drive into the corner of the goal - left them with it all to do. Two minutes later, however, Murphy was held back by his shirt by Ricky Newman as he ran on to Anthrobus's flick-on, and the referee awarded a penalty. Murphy converted from 12 yards with a confident strike as Warner dived to his left.

United sent on Ben Abbey for Lambert and pushed three up front. Abbey created half a chance for himself when he controlled the ball cleverly on his head, but his shot was blocked.

Ifill continued to wreak havoc with his runs down the right as Paul Powell enjoyed one of his least effective games at full back, and when Ifill drove in a cross from the right, Australian Tim Cahill connected sweetly from six yards to make it 3-1.

Ex-United striker Paul Moody, who was given a warm reception by the Oxford fans before the start, deserved a goal for a fine exhibition of centre forward play. He won virtually everything in the air.

But in the last few minutes, he curled a shot from 18 yards just wide after beating the unhappy Robinson with some good ball control, and moments later he was denied by a wonder save from Lundin.

Story date: Monday 11 October

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