Angry Blades hit out at deadline switch

Oxford received an input of capital when new director Sid Cabby joined just before Christmas, and tried to boost the squad before the official deadline of December 31 with only limited success.

But it now appears that some teams may have known about the new deadline and lined up new players leaving Blades at a considerable disadvantage.

Director Mark Boardman said: "I'm spitting blood over this. We have just five days to find, try out and arrange transfers for new players, while others have been able to sign for 22 days.

"It seems that those at the bottom are not being given the same opportunities as those at the top." Meanwhile, Blades have been left shell-shocked after suffering their second heavy defeat in the space of four days - this time a 15-1 thrashing by Solihull Blaze in English League Division 1.

Oxford looked demoralised by Thursday's 21-1 defeat at Milton Keynes, and Solihull scored on their first attack through Kelham.

Oxford, who had been thumped 20-7 by Solihull a week earlier, weren't helped by losing Canadian Wade Hadath with an elbow injury.

And with Chartrand and Chabot hitting a brace each, Blades went in 5-0 adrift at the first break.

Oxford warmed to their task in the second period and a sharp move saw Saami Saarien square the puck to Adam Greener who forced a good save from Doyle.

Chabot and Kelland increased the visitors' lead, before Blades unleashed an all-out assault on the Solihull net only to be thwarted by some desperate defence and bad luck. Another pair from Chartrand made it 9-0 before Russian Alexei Eskine, playing with five stitches in a face wound from the Milton Keynes game, scored with a deft flick.

Solihull added a further six markers despite the valiant efforts of netminder Jason Thomas.

Story date: Tuesday 26 January

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.