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Oxford and Portsmouth fans get into timewasting spat with ‘photos to prove’

Oxford and Portsmouth fans seemingly get into a timewasting spat with ‘photos to prove’ following the midweek meeting between the two.

Colby Bishop netted a 78th-minute equaliser to give Portsmouth a draw at home to 10-man Oxford, who saw Billy Bodin sent off 18 minutes from time after picking up a second yellow card.

Pompey took advantage of that as Bishop scored the rebound from Owen Dale’s shot to claim a share of the points.

But the game did start of scrappy with both sides looking to take control of the game in the first 15 minutes, and it was Oxford who opened the scoring despite form not being their best of late.

A long ball forward saw Gatlin O’Donkor chest it back for Kyle Joseph to send the ball into the bottom corner from 25 yards for his fifth league goal of the season.

On the 33rd minute, Oxford nearly doubled their lead when a strike from Joseph only just cleared the far post from the edge of the box.

Pompey’s only effort of the first half was from Ronan Curtis, who shot tamely into goalkeeper Simon Eastwood’s midriff.

Portsmouth got that equaliser with the game entering its closing stages, and Oxford manager Karl Robinson was handed a one-game touchline ban upon picking up his fourth yellow card of the season.

Robinson is often critical of the referees after having players sent off – Billy Bodin at Portsmouth and Matty Taylor against Peterborough United – in his side’s past two matches.

But the U’s manager is not worried about being in the stands on Saturday when they head to Bolton.

“I’ll still have complete contact with the staff,” he added.

“We’ll be consistently speaking and I’m sure they’ll be annoyed [with me] by about 60 minutes.”

Oxford, who have been hampered by injuries so far this season, currently sit 20th in League One with a win, two draws, and two losses from their past five games.

Their opponents Bolton are fifth and unbeaten in their last three outings.

Boss Karl Robinson told iFollow: “I’m finding it hard at the moment. My players give everything all the time. I love them and they love playing for Oxford United. In the last two games we have been undone by two decisions going against us. Billy Bodin’s second yellow card was stupid and he knows that, but his first one clearly wasn’t a booking with the tackles that were going on in the first half. It was a bit silly but Billy has given me everything since he came back into the team.”

Karl was also shown a yellow card and is facing a touchline ban: “If I have to get booked every week to fight for these players then I’ll do it” he said. “The fans behind the goal were magnificent tonight, and on Saturday after the game. We have performed so well over the last couple of years, been in the play-offs, been leading goalscorers. But for different reasons we find ourselves in a difficult moment right now.

“Those moments challenge you as an individual and as a professional. We have taken one point from two games when we should have had more but the fans are there giving us fantastic support every week. They are the constant and the important people, so we have to stay positive and we will travel up to Bolton and fight for everything again for them.

“It’s hard at the moment but we have to go again Saturday. It’s a hard week when we are decimated and without players, and that’s nobody’s fault. I see the players every day and see the pain, but the one thing we will do, we will fight like hell for everything. “

Danny Cowley admits his Portsmouth side are “battered and bruised” with injury woes at but was “proud” of the 1-1 draw against Oxford United.

“I’m proud of the group because of what’s gone against us – I think that’s 10 injuries now.

“We went into the game with four key midfielders out and anyone will know that no matter what you do on the training pitch, you’re just not going to be as good.

“At the moment we’re just not staying on the right side of the injury situation and it’s something we have to look at.

“Our squad is stretched and two players made their first league starts on Saturday, then you’re asking them to back it up on the Tuesday.

“It’s difficult and we went too direct in the first half, but credit to Nicky because he wanted to change it.

“When you’re a goal down and you take off a forward to play an extra midfielder, it’s pretty brave. But when we put together five or six passes, we were able to cause Oxford problems.

“I think the red card was through our good play because we got through their press and they had to keep fouling us.

“We weren’t perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but have a group with plenty of grit and determination.

“We’re battered and bruised at the moment, but we’re Portsmouth Football Club and we’re never beaten.”

Meanwhile on social media, Oxford and Portsmouth fans decided to get into a timewasting spat with ‘photos to prove’.

Joe Michalczuk wrote in a tweet: “Every year I have the misfortune of having to watch Oxford twice a season & they exist in an anti-football hellscape of diving, whining, time wasting & cheating.

“This was a 20 minute period in 2nd half & none of their players were injured. They are an embarrassment 👇🏻 #Pompey”

@John_ITFC: I completely agree.

@cafc_daniel: Mk, Wycombe a couple teams that do it there’s so many more

@oscarbelso22: Caldwell you know what to do #ecfc

@pompeyCripps89: And none were booked for time wasting despite every throw in, goal kick, set piece taking about a minute to be taken, infuriating

@adamjamespafc: How do we combat this? If a player goes down and requires a physio to come on, maybe keep them off for 5 minutes at a time. Because it’s becoming boring. Players are even going down now holding their head, because they know the game has to stop!

@SkhTrains: Fully convinced Evatt will start a riot if they try this on Saturday after watching Burtons antics on Tuesday #bwfc

@oriley_daniel: I’m guessing this guy with the massive forehead wasn’t at Portman Road last season for ipswich 0-0 Portsmouth where Portsmouth spend 70 minutes on the floor ?#itfc #pompey

@NathanielOUFC: So what you did at our place last year then? You love it when you do it yourselves, but hate it when against you.

@RichOUFC: Strange that at least 2 are the same incident and 4 are a player who went off injured.

@Jakeinator1160: To many of these fans supporting pompey happy when we do it when we r winning but cry when they do it when we r losing u had 10 men for 30 minutes with some players out so its obvious u time waste when u go 1-0 we do the same all the time some weird Pompey fans forget that tho

@hblue_m: On a par with Wycombe for this for sure 🤮

@mackenzieM00re1: Joke club but also pompey didn’t deserve anything out of the game so to get a point was a surprise

@sihath1: I think you might be a little bit obsessed with us. It’s flattering, if slightly creepy.

@BlueArmyAlex: Maybe we should employ these tactics too, I don’t think we’ve been a dirty team in years

@LPrentice44: You already do ffs 😂

@Liamitfc2: Just like Pompey at Portman Road last season then…pot kettle much

@andyamonty: I’m not sure what is more ridiculous. The notion that you think Pompey wouldn’t have done exactly the same if you were 1-nil up and down to 10 men, or that you describe yourself as a journalist!

@rowanpowell4: Remember you doing the exact same thing last year and losing xx

@colwebs: You’ve obviously Never watched Wycombe then 🙄🙄

@RoopsOUFC: We played you off the park for 65 minutes, had 5 minutes of not dealing with a bit of pompey pressure very well and then 20 mins of trying to hold on to a point with 10 men. Was an exciting game, draw a fair result.

@MrBruzon: No it wasn’t, Oxford deserved all the points. We didn’t ‘deserve’ anything from that. That ref though… wow, he deserves to be sent to the southern conference league.

@GeorgeRobbo_14: I’m not sure pompey fans are in a position to moan about this 😂😂

@IanMcIntyre74: Robinson admitted they faked cramp to slow the game down against #itfc last season, it’s cheating and it’s disgraceful, we’ve got two games still to come against them

@NathanielOUFC: Four pictures of the same incident. One of them has a gash in the knee in a photo. Two players actually went off injured. And you call yourself a journalist. May as well have used your forehead to carry them off on a stretcher. You did the same last season at ours. Pot kettle.

@LewisD27479045: Oxford not even in top 3 sides for this that I have seen…. wycombe and Shrewsbury last night for starters are clear in the dark arts

@TownsendJon80: Very bitter and twisted Pompey fan, outplayed your lot for 65 min with a 18 year old making his full team debut up top, oh and how do you know they didn’t pick up cramp or a slight injury mystic Meg?. Get over yourself.

@Oxford_carper: Have a day off… every club does same thing! You obviously don’t understand football mate 😂

@billyg2107: Burton were doing the same last night, need to get out this tinpot league asap

@R_J_M_11: Wow this coming from a pompey fan 😂😂. You boys timewaste from the first minute against us. Dont be bitter because Portsmouth gave the shortest promotion challenge the league has ever seen 😂 #pompey

@Blarmy18781: Totally agree, utter embarrassment. They did exactly the same at Portman Toad the last 2 or 3 visits. It’s obviously coached into them by that clown of a manager they have. It’s pathetic.

@oufcgoldengreen: You need to watch the game from last season at our place, your beloved Pompey did that all game especially keeper, that’s how we won in added time 🤷 do bit more research before talking shit…by the way you played Wycombe the masters at it yet ??

@Benno1uk: Must be hard to watch compared to the free flowing total football the PE teacher serves up eh?

@jupp_andrew: Wait until you play Peterborough then… 🤣

@mike_sneade: You have played Wycombe before haven’t you?

@CD_PAFC: Should have seen Shrewsbury for us last night 👀

@glennparfitt: Yeah was disgusted with them at Ipswich last season / there was no football played in the last 25 mins at Portman rd – the same antics at killing the game

@AndyJDHM: Rich coming from a Portsmouth fan

@TheCoops97: #pompey learnt from the best then 😂

@AumonierNick: Mate every team does it grow up.

@_kieranbl: Oh the irony.

@PaulOapdub: A bit of gamesmanship and time wasting is fair game, but Oxford take it to another level. Don’t know how refs haven’t got more wise to it.

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