Reaction as United win at Hartlepool
Oxford United went top of Sky Bet League 2 with a 1-0 win at Hartlepool on Saturday, courtesy of a Danny Hylton goal.
“It was a fantastic finish by Hylts and the build up to the goal was very good as well” Head Coach Michael Appleton told Yellow Player HD, going on to praise the contribution of winger Alex MacDonald whose excellent run and cross paved the way for the only goal of the game.
“Macca was great for us in the second half today and was a bit of a catalyst” Michael said. “Some of his quality, driving and pushing us forward, was outstanding and the ball in to Hylts made it a little bit easier for him.”
United have conceded just once in the last 360 minutes of football and boast the best defensive record in the league, with Johnny Mullins and the defence defending ferociously to keep another clean sheet.
“You can tell that the lads have got themselves into a position where if someone is going to score against us then they are really going to have to work hard to do it” Michael said. “They take real pride in keeping clean sheets.”
United now move on to face Forest Green Rovers in the FA Cup on Sunday and Yeovil Town in the area semi-final of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy at the Kassam Stadium the following Tuesday, with Michael looking for two more positive results before his side return to league action. But for now he was more than happy to see his side go top of the league.
“It’s been mentioned and it’s fantastic, and great credit to all the players and the staff. We’ll enjoy it and we have a couple of weeks now until the next league game and will give it our best shot to come back to the league after two cup wins as well.”
Tickets prices are reduced for the FA Cup game against Forest Green Rovers at the Kassam Stadium on Sunday. Call 01865 337533 or visit www.oufctickets.co.uk to book your place.
See the full version of the interview below, plus 12 minutes of highlights in Yellow Player HD right now.