Oxford united FC
Jamie Cumming issues Oxford United ‘us against the world’ plea
Oxford have won four of their first seven League One fixtures, sitting eighth in the table despite being hit with a temporary transfer embargo in the summer.
Cumming made only his third appearance in the league this season at the weekend in a 2-1 win at Notts County after coming off injured in the second game of the campaign with a groin injury.
Until the international break, veteran shot-stopper Simon Eastwood stepped in and kept two clean sheets until his colleague regained his place for the Jersey Mike’s Trophy clash with Exeter City.
“I think so, yes,” Cumming replied when asked whether he knew he would eventually be handed a starting spot again.
“I think I’ve done enough over the last couple of seasons.
“I had a couple of conversations with the manager and I just said to him, and we had an honest conversation, whenever you feel that it’s right to put me back in, do that.
“Obviously, the team’s winning games and things are going really well.
“I’m not expecting to come straight back in the team, but he’s chosen now as the time to put me back in and obviously I’m happy to come in and try and make an impact.”
After a turbulent summer at the club, the former Chelsea man is enjoying the current feeling amongst the players with a good start to the season.
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“I think maybe in a way it’s been good for the club,” the 27-year-old pondered.
“And you’ve seen a couple of young players who maybe we didn’t expect to have this sort of impact, have a massive impact. And it has definitely brought everyone together.
“I think having that against us against the world mentality can sometimes help a squad. And I think for us, it’s just made us want to prove a point that the players we have here are more than good enough.”
Under Ramsey, Oxford are playing a very different brand of football to how they did when fighting survival in the Championship, aiming to play out from the back with incisive passes on the floor.
And, for Cumming, this is something he is pleased about: “Perhaps it’s easier to do those sorts of things in League One than in the Championship.
“I think this year we definitely have a lot more solutions and we feel like we know what we’re doing and are in control a bit more.
“I prefer having the ball at my feet because I feel like it’s actually a strength of my game, trying to recognise the press and then play out.
“There were a couple of times at the weekend where I recognised, if they were pressing hard, to clip over or to play through.”
Oxford United travel to face Mansfield Town in League One as they look to extend their unbeaten streak to five games.
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Peter Kioso and Gatlin O’Donkor both received second yellow cards as Aaron Ramsey’s men survived a late onslaught from the Stags.
Luka Lynch’s first ever goal in professional football put Oxford ahead in the first half Michael Smith found a deserved Mansfield equaliser.
The hosts had Oxford pinned back in the opening stages, a shot from Nathan Moriah-Welsh getting blocked by teammate Jon Russell.
Mark Harris glanced a Louie Sibley free kick wide with his head in response, before a stretching Rhys Oates could not quite meet a lethal low ball in.
Mansfield kept pushing then, Michal Helik recovering to stop Smith in the box.
A first save from Jamie Cumming tipped the ball wide four minutes before Russell and Deji Oshilaja both saw efforts blocked.
Another Russell dig was held by the U’s goalkeeper as United weathered the storm.
With 34 minutes on the clock, Lynch showed his quality to cut inside and bend a perfect shot into the top left corner from the edge of the penalty area and put the Yellows ahead against the run of play.
The Stags hit back when Cameron Brannagan gave the ball away in his own box leading to Russell putting the ball over with time on his side.
Nigel Clough’s side kept up their pressure but could not find the net before the break.
The hosts picked up where they left off with a blocked effort from Stephen McLaughlin and a curling shot wide from Oates.
Substitute O’Donkor had a poke at goal saved as the U’s grew into the second half before Oates broke away but was stopped impressively by Peter Kioso in the box.
That is when the wheels began falling off, Kioso receiving a second yellow for an alleged dive in the box.
Frazer Blake-Tracy out a cross over the crossbar before the equaliser came, Smith bundling into the net after Cumming failed to deal with another cross.
It went from bad to worse then, O’Donkor seeing red after a clumsy slide challenge saw him also receive a second yellow.
Mansfield battered the Oxford box in the final few minutes, the U’s managing to hold out for what proved to be a valuable point.
Stags: L Roberts, Hewitt (Maris 80), Sweeney (Blake-Tracy 74), Russell (Hendry 74), Smith, Thompson, Oates, Moriah-Welsh (T Roberts 61), Oshilaja, Reed, Abbott (McLaughlin 46)
Yellows: Cumming, Kioso, Brown, Helik, Spencer, Brannagan, Andrews, Sibley (O’Donkor 59), Lynch (Missanga 59), Harris (Currie 78), Dembele (Long 80)
Bookings: Moriah-Welsh, Russell; Kioso, O’Donkor
Red cards: Kioso, O’Donkor
Oxford United travel to face Mansfield Town in League One as they look to extend their unbeaten streak to five games.
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