Oxford Utd 2, Norwich City 4

By JON MURRAY A CALAMITOUS second-half collapse saw Oxford United plunge to second from bottom in Division 1 and to within touching distance of relegation.

Leading from a goal by substitute Brian Wilsterman, United would have been out of reach by half-time with better finishing and just a smidgeon of luck.

But the Canaries levelled soon after Wilsterman's fine header and they chirped up considerably in the second half when they exploited acres of space United left them as the home side desperately chased the win they needed.

With clinical efficiency, Norwich struck twice in five minutes midway through the second half and United's world caved in.

Successive disastrous defeats against Bury and Port Vale had forced the need for a change to the attack and manager Malcolm Shotton boldly went for a front two of 19-year-old Simon Weatherstone and Matt Murphy in a bid to get a goal.

The onus was again on Joey Beauchamp and Nicky Banger to deliver from wide positions and Banger did so with some determined runs and accurate crosses.

But Banger should have scored in the 12th minute when he chested down a cross from Les Robinson, went round the keeper and then, when it seemed easier to score, side-footed his shot across goal from a tight angle. A minute later, Weatherstone was unlucky with an overhead kick against the post after Paul Powell hooked back a cross.

Powell, who had been ill most of the week, looked to be struggling with his fitness but United had other worries as Phil Gilchrist suffered a recurrence of his hamstring strain in a run at full stretch to fend off Iwan Roberts, and he had to be replaced in the 19th minute.

Wilsterman, out of first-team action since January, slotted into his place and ten minutes after coming on, he directed a firm header from a superb left-wing cross by Banger into the corner of the net, repeating the goal he scored at Norwich last November.

Norwich, wearing United's yellow shorts and socks because their blue clashed, were level five minutes later. Craig Bellamy looked offside when he ran on to a header from Bordeaux's Cedric Anselin, Paul Lundin saved with his legs but the on-loan Frenchman then chipped over United's covering defenders from 25 yards.

Still the U's kept on creating chances. Mark Watson headed wide at a corner, Weatherstone was unfortunate with a glancing header against the post and, right on half-time, Powell set up Murphy.

It was another opportunity which had to be taken but Murphy side-footed rather than blasted, and keeper Andy Marshall saved. Attacking downhill in the second half, United must have had high hopes of victory.

But it was Norwich who started to take charge and, after Roberts had missed two sitters, the centre-forward was in the right place to hit his 22nd goal of the season, into an empty net, after Lee Marshall's header came back off the bar.

Shotton changed his strike force by bringing on Kevin Francis and Andy Thomson, but moments later, Lundin was saving from a Roberts header and was then helpless to prevent Craig Fleming nodding in a cross from the classy Phil Mulryne.

Francis offered home fans a glimmer of hope by drilling in a shot from 15 yards for his first goal of the season, but two minutes from time, Thomson gave the ball away to Lee Marshall and the lively Bellamy scored No 4 with a diving header.

Story date: Monday 26 April

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