Oxford United 1-1 Morecambe
Sky Bet League One
The Kassam Stadium
Saturday 20 August 2022
Kick-Off: 3:00pm
Attendance: 6,813 (130 Shrimps)
The Shrimps left the Kassam Stadium with a well-earned point, after Jensen Weir’s scored his first goal in a Morecambe shirt.
Weir netted minutes after the second-half following an unbelievable assist from Donald Love, before Kyle Joseph equalised just before the hour mark.
Karl Robinson’s side started the quicker of the two teams and had a couple of early chances on goal, the first came from a corner which saw Billy Bodin take aim from just inside the area, which was charged down well by Morecambe captain Love.
Then James Henry tried his luck from well outside the box, the midfield got a shot off from 25-yards which had Connor Ripley in the Shrimps goal scrambling, however, the ball dropped wide of his left post to the goalkeepers’ delight.
The Shrimps had a big opportunity of their own on the 17th minute, midfielder Jake Taylor did well to hold off his man before getting a cross into the area where Liam Gibson was waiting, however the full-back could not direct his effort on goal.
Five minutes late Oxford had the first clear cut chance of the game through their captain Cameron Brannagan. A stunning through ball set the U’s man away but out came Ripley to make a fantastic one-on-one save to deny the midfielder his second goal in as many games.
Half-time: Oxford United 0-0 Morecambe
It was the Shrimps who opened the scoring, two minutes after the restart through Weir.
Dylan Connolly on from the bench fizzed a ball in the direction of Love who made his way up from the back, his outrageous flick found the on-loan Brighton & Hove Albion man on the edge of the box, with his effort having enough power on it to find its way past Simon Eastwood in the U’s goal.
The lead last nine minutes and Oxford were back on levels terms from a corner. Striker Joseph was first to the ball hooking his effort in the roof of the net from three-yards out.
The U’s continued on their assault of the Morecambe penalty area with Matty Taylor trying to plant a header past Ripley, but the Shrimps shot-stopper was equal to it.
Brannagan was determined to find a away past Ripley but was twice denied in the space of six minutes, first an effort from 20-yards out was parried away to the ‘keepers left before an attempt from 30-yards out was again beaten away from danger.
Two minutes into injury time, substitute Anthony O’Connor produced a moment of quality, denying Slavi Spasov and albeit ensuring the Shrimps walked away with a point from the Kassam Stadium.
Full-time: Oxford United 1-1 Morecambe
Oxford United: Eastwood, Long, Findlay, Bodin (Spasov 67’), Brannigan (C), Taylor, Brown, Henry (Goodrham 84’), McGuane (Gorrin 84’), Joseph, Seddon.
Subs not used: McGinty, Jones, Bate, Mousinho.
Goals: Joseph 56’
Bookings: Brown 90+6’.
Red cards: None.
Morecambe: Ripley, Love (C), Gibson (McLoughlin 74’), Rawson, Delaney, Taylor, Hunter (Fane 7’), Gnahoua (Connolly 46’), Weir (O’Connor 79’), Bedeau, Obika (Stockton 46’).
Subs not used: Smith, Watts.
Goals: Weir 48’.
Bookings: Stockton 51’, Fane 70’, Rawson 79’, Taylor 89’, Connolly 90+1’.
Red cards: None.