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Yemi gets in a shot

Oxford United bowed out of the Setanta Shield at the first attempt on Saturday when Blue Square Premier leaders Aldershot settled their fourth-round tie in the second half.

Kirk Hudson, who has a name like one of the old movie stars many will be watching on TV this Christmas, was given a ridiculous amount of space to fire in the winner in the 68th minute.

It might not seem like a bad scoreline, considering this was Aldershot's 12th straight home win in all competitions, and also considering the U's again played inexperienced teenager Sam Warrell in goal.

But Oxford are still desperately searching for a goal, and another blank stretched their unwanted run to 561 minutes - more than nine hours - since they last found the back of the net.

Yet they competed well at the Recreation Ground on Saturday and on another day might have got something out of the game.

Manager Darren Patterson decided to try out a couple of new things, pushing captain Barry Quinn into central midfield with Mickey Corcoran teaming up alongside Luke Foster at centre back, and Danny Rose replacing Phil Trainer on the left of midfield.

The Shots opted to leave their prolific strikers, John Grant and Jonny Dixon, on the bench, while Venezuelan Mikhael Jamiez-Ruiz remained in goal as Rhys Day continued his recovery from injury.

In the opening minutes Aldershot centre half Dave Winfield had a header cleared off the line at a corner, and from the rebound Anthony Charles volleyed over.

Foster produced an excellentr piece of play with a superb tackle to stop Rob Elvins's run down the right before releasing Yemi Odubade with a 40-yard pass.

Odubade did well to cut inside Charles but shot past the near post when he should have at least forced the keeper into a save.

There were plenty of good runs, though, from both Odubade and Joel Ledgister on the right wing.

When there was any sign of pressure, young keeper Sam Warrell often punched rather than tried to catch, and that policy served him well for the most part.

Rob Duffy was booked for a bad challenge on Elvins as the game approached half-time, with Oxford United passing the 500-minute mark since they last scored.

Rose, who had provided a good outlet down the left, hit a terrific left-footed drive on the volley from 15 yards, which was going in, until it diverted off the top of Winfield's head.

Elvins was also yellow-carded for a late challenge on Foster, just after he had released the ball - a challenge angered several U's players.

Early in the second half Ledgister fired in a fierce cross from the right touchline that slipped through keeper Jaimez-Ruiz's hands, but there was nowhere on hand to capitalise.

Immediately, Aldershot broke swiftly to the other end, but Elvins was stopped in his tracks by a terrific tackle from Corcoran.

On the hour, the home side brought on their 15-goal top scorer John Grant, but it was just moments after Ashley Barnes had taken over from Rose for the visitors, that Shots took the lead.

Quinn was guilty of a cynical foul as he pulled back Ricky Newman in the middle of the park - for which he was yellow-carded - and from Jaimez-Ruiz's long free-kick, Danny Hylton flicked on and Kirk Hudson, left in acres of space, coolly slotted past Warrell's left hand.

Duffy had a frustrating ten minutes when nothing seemed to go right. Odubade showed great energy and enthusiasm with a determined run and cross from the right, but the Welsh striker's poor first touch wasted the chance.

A few minutes later Duffy then played a pass forward 30 yards to no-one and it was hard, quite honestly, to see what was in in his mind.

Carl Pettefer too was guilty of wastefulness as he broke free in plenty of space on the left, only to deliver a dreadful cross out of play.

John Grant fired into the side-netting as Gary Waddock's men pressed for a second goal, and Warrell got away with a couple of handling erros.

Matty Taylor came on four minutes from time for his first-team U's debut and in a mad scramble in the box in the closing stages, he was involved as Barnes shot wide.

Then, after United had forced their first corner of the match, in the 92nd minute, Barnes swivelled and shot - only to see the effort strike the unfortunate Taylor.

Oxford Utd: Warrell, Day, Corcoran, Foster, Quinn, Jeannin, Ledgister, Pettefer, Quinn, Rose (Barnes 66), Duffy (Taylor 86), Odubade. Subs not used: Weedon, Hutchinson, Benjamin.

Ref: Simon Hooper (Wiltshire).

Att: 1,573 (104 from Oxford) Booked: Duffy, Quinn

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