If you can stomach it, ‘U’s fan Steve Butcher gives his view of the game from The Stratton Bank.

For the first time since October 2000 Oxford United made the short trip along the A420 for a league match against Swindon Town, a game that has been talked about ever since Town’s relegation to League 2 was confirmed last season.

Personally I’m pleased the two games are opposite ends of the season, as I think some fans need to remember there are 22 other clubs in this league and not just Oxford United & Swindon Town. With today’s game sorted, everyone can calm down, at least until the new year when talk will turn to the return fixture in March!

Back to the match, and I was pretty calm during the build up, while enjoying the banter with some of the Town fans on Twitter, I even managed to tell one fan that a mutual follower was responsible for the damage to our pitch last weekend!

I was always pretty confident of a result. Thanks to our friends at Arkells, I have been to the County Ground a few times over the last ten years and seen Swindon lose every time!

It wasn’t until the bus got closer to Swindon did the butterflies start to kick in, and by the time I’d walked to Burger King for my pre-match meal I was buzzing!

The atmosphere around the ground was calm, and I’d arranged to meet a Town supporting friend outside the club shop before the game. It was while waiting there that one town fan told me I was f’ing scum!

Once inside the ground the atmosphere in the away end was electric. Mr Di Canio’s pre-match comments had clearly motivated the Oxford players & supporters and there was delirium on the Stratton Bank when James Constable opened the scoring for Oxford on 12 minutes, with a header from a corner – we NEVER score from corners. So having broken that duck, could we go on?

As it turned out no, as within 8 minutes Swindon leveled with a great header, but was it really necessary for the Swindon’s Aden Flint to start goading the Oxford fans behind the goal? No – celebrate your goal with your team mates by all means, but we don’t need you enticing trouble by gesturing to the away fans.

I remember thinking to myself as Peter Levin placed the ball for a 43rd minute free kick, this would be a great time to score, but our set-pieces are rubbish… So when Di Canio’s favourite Oxford player made it 2-1, that’s two goals from two set pieces and that had to be a sign that today was going to be United’s day.

In the second half it was very much backs against the wall as Swindon threw everything at us, but we defended in numbers, even if a little deep.

Di Canio said too much to the referee and got his marching orders as did one town fan, who got ejected from the home end, although the Police did change their mind over the route out of the ground passing the front of the Stratton Bank after a shower of bottles and liquids were thrown at the fan!

To summarise today was more about the result than the performance, and the result is the one that will live long in the memory of all Oxford fans for a very long time. We just hope we don’t have to wait another 38 years for our next win!

Follow @SteveButcher72

Header photo from oxfordunited.co.uk