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Jim in agitated mood

Three weeks after being humiliated at Histon, once-proud Oxford United crashed to an even more embarrassing defeat as their Setanta nightmare continued.

They were comprehensively beaten by bottom-of-the-table Droylsden, who had lost their previous 11 games.

A header in the 16th minute from Steve Daly, and a 61st-minuite penalty converted by Jody Banim, sent the east Manchester outfit towards their first-ever win at Conference level.

And they even went 3-0 ahead when Jim McGuire squeezed a shot under Billy Turley's body with five mintes remaining.

Yemi Odubade pulled one back a minute later, after Gary Twigg dummied Paul Shaw's low right-wing cross, but Droylsden ran out easy winners.

United's players looked frightened for much of the first half, then improved at the start of the second half, but failed to convert a good chance when Eddie Hutchinson headed over from a great position.

And the spot kick, conceded by left wingback Alex Jeannin, proved the coup de grace.

The result increases the pressure on manager Jim Smith, already under fire because of poor home performances and a mediocre start to the season.

Oxford have yet to win in five games screened live by Setanta this season and their sixth, at home to Torquay on Thursday, doesn't bode much better with Torquay in impressive form.

Smith made a host of changes after the disappointing home game against York. Two were enforced, with Rob Duffy and Eddie Anaclet injured, but he brought in a whole new defence of Luke Foster, Chris Willmott and Arthur Gnohere, with Barry Quinn moved forward to play the holding role in midfield, and add much-needed support to Eddie Hutchinson and Phil Trainer.

Twigg started on the bench, with Shaw partnering Odubade in attack.

Another change was United's strip, as they wore blue shirts, white shorts and socks for the first time.

In the early exchanges, Willmott won two important tackles at the back to halt a Droylsden attack, while at the other end Shaw twice produced useful flick-ons to Odubade.

The long ball to Yemi was clearly United's get-out ball when their players were under pressure, and they used the ploy a couple of times, with little joy resulting.

And when Droylsden took the lead in the 16th minute, the U's must have been worried about another Histon humiliation.

It was a well-worked move down the left, with Jamie Tandy getting past Day too easily and then Jody Banim turning and crossing for Steve Daly to head down and past Turley in front of the Oxford fans.

If they were shell-shocked, United, to their credit, didn't show it and Phil Trainer teed up a shot for Quinn from the edge of the area which was heading in but deflected off defender Colin Cryan for a corner.

Trainer was harshly booked a moment later after appearing to win the ball in a 50-50 challenge that the ref deemed dangerous.

Droylsden enjoyed a strong spell in which the skilful Banim gave Alex Jeannin and Gnohere the run-around with some jinking runs. After one, Dale Stephens almost scored and Foster hurriedly smashed the ball away to safety.

Turley had to track back in a hurry too when a looping header from Daly threatened to put him in trouble, but he reached above his head to save.

United weren't creating much going forward, but Odubade felt he should have had a penalty as Tandy took his legs away in the area.

Droylsden may have lost their previous 11 games, but the early goal had given them confidence, and in Banim they had a very useful player.

Indeed, Banim almost got a second goal for the Bloods before half-time when he met a clearance from a corner on the volley and fired in an excellent low shot that Turley saved well with his legs down at his near post.

Oxford's players had looked frightened in the first half, frightened to make a mistake and inhibited to go out and express themselves.

At half-time, Smith took off Day, who had been poor, and Gnohere and changed formation to 3-4-3 by bringing on Twigg as a left-sided striker, and Carl Pettefer into midfield. Quinn then slotted into the right wingback position.

Pettefer had a fierce strike at goal within three minutes of the restart, but a Drylsden defender got his body in the way.

There looked to be more urgency about the visitors in the second half and Odubade directed a left-footed shot on the spin past the post, following Trainer's long header forward.

Oxford's supporters gave their team fantastic vocal backing at the start of the second half and were almost rewarded with an equaliser. Hutchinson, arriving from deep, met Odubade's right-wing cross perfectly, but planted it over the bar from a great position.

It was to prove a crucial miss.

Moments later, in the 61st minute, Jeannin barged Chris Denham with his shoulder as the Droylsden player ran into the penalty area, and the assistant referee signalled for a penalty.

Jeannin was booked and then up stepped Banim to bury the spot kick into the centre of the goal.

Oxford Utd: Turley, Foster, Willmott, Gnohere (Pettefer h-t), Day (Twigg h-t), Hutchinson, Quinn, Trainer, Jeannin, Shaw, Odubade. Subs not used: Cisak, Gilchrist, Corcoran.

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