Robinson lauds Oxford players after FA Cup victory at Forest Green

Posted Wednesday, November 21, 2018 by PA

Oxford boss Karl Robinson lauded his side’s 3-0 FA Cup first round replay victory at League Two Forest Green.

Goals from James Henry, Jamie Mackie and Marcus Browne booked United a second round trip to fellow League One outfit Plymouth.

Robinson said: “The result was fantastic and especially in the way we did it, but ultimately against a very good Forest Green team.

“That’s probably one of our best playing performances we have seen for a while, that and the (Checkatrade Trophy) Wycombe one weirdly – we’re good away in the cup and in the week.

“We’re now nine unbeaten, eight clean sheets in 10 games, that says everything about our team at the moment, but we still know there is a long way to go.

“I thought we never got carried away with ourselves throughout the game and I think we showed total respect for Forest Green when we went 3-0 up, we didn’t flip, we showed total respect and that’s important.

“You can get carried away when you go 3-0 up, but our players stuck to the basics and we had the ability to play as well.”

Robinson’s side nosed ahead after 35 minutes when Cameron Brannagan fizzed in a teasing strike from the edge of the box, which Forest Green goalkeeper James Montgomery parried out for Henry to turn home the free ball.

Rovers were stung two minutes after the restart as delicate feet from Josh Ruffels cut Mark Cooper’s side up for Mackie to prod home and Oxford substitute Browne wrapped the tie up after 78 minutes when he shot in from inside the box.

Rovers boss Cooper bemoaned his side’s inability to beat Oxford in the first tie.

Cooper said: “We should have won it in the first game and we looked a gift horse in the mouth and you don’t get too many second bites of the cherry. You could see the difference in the decision making of the players – and we just weren’t good enough tonight.

“We didn’t defend well and we must have put 20 crosses across the face of their goal, but we never looked like getting on the end of anything – and if you can’t score at one end – and concede at the other, you have a problem.”

Rovers have fired blanks in their last three games and Cooper acknowledged the problems his side have encountered since the departure of Christian Doidge to Bolton.

He added: “We knew we might have a problem when Christian Doidge was sold, but we need to find a way of getting some goals from somewhere.

“We go back to the drawing board and get ready for Saturday, but it’s important we don’t get too down on the players.”