Oxford’s amazing striker story

Saturday, 18/02/2012

by Graham Dunn, Shoot's Oxford United blogger

When three strikers made their Oxford debut in the same game against Dagenham this week, I was reaching for Norris McWhirter territory.

Could this be some kind of record? Not three strikers making a debut in the same game, that's too easy. How about the most number of strikers used in one season?

Thirteen so far, in only 30 games. Don't believe me? Cue flashback music and wavy arms....

AUGUST

Season starts, five strikers, confidence high. Constable and Craddock got more than 30 between them last year, throw in Potter and new signings Pittman and Smalley should improve on Green and Midson. What can go wrong. Well Craddock's injured. No worries, Lewis Guy on loan - intelligent player, never going to score many though (one to be precise).

SEPTEMBER

Mmm. Smalley tries hard, but doesn't seem to score much. Wilder doesn't seem to fancy Pittman much, he's sent him out to Crawley. Bring in Franks from Boro. He gets injured in behind closed doors friendly. Hall joins from West Ham. Blimey, scores on his debut. Lewis Guy is on his way though

OCTOBER

Haworth joins on loan, plays twice, almost scored a wonder goal. Injured. Send for Philliskirk. He played one game without scoring for us on loan back in August 2010. And he does that again this time as well. End the month by bringing Franks back on loan. Not sure how long he stayed this time, but he certainly didn't score. Hall does though - six in ten - but West Ham recall him.

NOVEMBER

What's this? Hall's back, for a month at least! Promtly fails to score in next five games. More surreally Guy comes back. Less surreally, he doesn't score. At last Craddock is back, comes on as sub, sent off, banned for three games.

DECEMBER

Result! West Ham allow Hall to stay for the rest of the season. Next day they recall him. Because they can, I guess. Craddock back after his ban. Scores. Then looks injured again. Guy leaves again, I assume.

JANUARY

Pittman's back. And what's this, he scores (against Crawley of course). Then he scores again. Finally we are back where we started - Constable, Craddock, Potter, Pittman and Smalley. Okay Smalley has barely scored and is loaned out to Bradford, but we still have the other four. Craddock tears a hamstring. Bring in Johnson, once of Norwich you know. Potter's back on the goal trail - the only part of his game that's been missing. Nothing can stop him now. And Rendell joins from Wycombe.

FEBRUARY

Potter. Broken ankle in training. That's okay we've still got Pittman. Hamstring you say. Send for Kerrouche from Swindon of all people and Holmes from Southampton. Rendell, Kerrouche and Holmes make debuts during Dagenham game. None score. But Johnson does, so does Constable - tenth of the season no less - maybe this time....

Queue flashback music and wavy hands again. So the bare facts. 30 matches, 13 forwards, 26 goals, that's two each on average, though 15 of them were scored by Constable and Hall. Which leaves 11 scored by the other 11. Carry on like this and Claridge will be on for another couple of post-retirement games.

And of course, all the while this is going on, down the road at AFC Wimbeldon, Midson, who we let go in the summer, is third top scorer in League 2. It's just not been our season for strikers.

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