Oxford united FC
Premier League icon tips Oxford United striker for 25-goal haul
Harris has enjoyed a fruitful start to the new League One season with Oxford, scoring four times and assisting once in the team’s first seven games.
Under fellow countryman Aaron Ramsey, the Wales international has started every competitive match so far this campaign.
The 27-year-old bagged the first goal in the U’s most recent result, a 2-1 win over Notts County at Meadow Lane which saw United rise to eighth in the table with games in hand on many of their third-tier rivals.
Harris has outperformed his expected goals (xG) tally so far this season, scoring four goals from an expected 2.3, with a conversion rate of 50 per cent.
Speaking exclusively to the Oxford Mail, former Liverpool, Aston Villa and Oxford striker Dean Saunders offered his advice and tipped Harris for a productive year.
The 62-year-old said: “it’s a real shame the goals didn’t come in the Championship. But, he started really well.
“He’s a very well-rounded, very skilled off-the-ball striker as well. So, I think for players like that, it’s going to fall at some point.
“Don’t get disappointed when you’re closing down and you’re not getting any thanks for it. Because that keeps you in the team when you’re not scoring.”
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Saunders added, on behalf of BetSelect: “When you’re not playing well as centre-forward, you’ve just got an instinct for getting on the end of the crosses, getting on through balls and seeing the opportunity, which Mark does. They win your games.
“I couldn’t sleep if I didn’t score. Even if we won and I hadn’t scored, I’d still struggle to sleep. It’s my job.”
After a duo of tricky seasons in the Championship in a struggling U’s side, Harris is finding his goal scoring boots once again in League One.
The former Cardiff City man managed nine goals in his two second-tier campaigns with the Yellows but has already overtaken his tally from last season (3) with his goals early on this term.
In his most recent third-tier campaign prior to the Championship journey, Harris bagged 19 goals in all competitions and looks well on his way to matching that form again.
Saunders continued: “To have Mark Harris in your team, any manager would put up with him not scoring. Because of the way he defends from the front and the way he puts himself about.
“If you’re lazy and you’re not scoring, you end up on the bench and you can’t score from the dugout. While you’re on the pitch, you can get lucky goals. You can get penalties.
“And, then you get a bit of belief back. And, then you get on a run of scoring.
“I’m sure when Mark gets going, he’s one of them who can get 25 goals.”
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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