Kassam Stadium Wednesday, March 15th, 2006   League Two Attendance: 6,424       Oxford United 1-0 Bristol Rovers       Basham 65 (pen)
2005 /06

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OXFORD UNITED 1-0 BRISTOL ROVERS Basham 65 (pen) ATTENDANCE: 6,424 OXFORD UNITED: Billy Turley, Warren Goodhind, Chris Willmott, Leo Roget, Matthew Robinson, Barry Quinn, Chris Hargreaves, Lee Mansell, Steve Basham (Andy Burgess 73), Tim Sills, Yemi Odubade (Jamie Brooks 86) Unused Substitutes: Bradie Clarke, Jon Ashton, Tom Winters BRISTOL ROVERS: Scott Shearer, Aaron Lescott, Steve Elliott, Craig Hinton, Chris Carruthers, Sammy Igoe, James Hunt, Craig Disley, Stuart Campbell (Jamie Forrester 72), Richard Walker, Lewis Haldane (Ali Gibb 81) Unused Substitutes: Jon Bass, Steve Book, Christian Edwards REFEREE: D Whitestone A controversial second half penalty kick scored by Steve Basham gave Oxford United a 1-0 win over Rovers at the Kassam Stadium this evening. Craig Disley was adjudged to have upended Chris Hargreaves in the area on 65 minutes by fussy referee Dean Whitestone, despite protests from the visiting players. Basham made no mistake from the spot to give new Oxford boss Darren Patterson a winning start in front a 6,000-plus crowd, boosted by around 2,000 Gasheads. As early as the third minute Basham saw a header saved by Scott Shearer, back in goal in place of Steve Book after recovering from a back injury. Basham was proving a thorn in Rovers side during the opening stages as Stuart Campbell was then forced to hack a shot off the goal-line. But from that moment on Rovers took charge, creating numerous good openings without finding a killer pass to end their incisive moves. Before the interval Rovers saw the first of three penalty claims waved away by official Whitestone, who made numerous questionable and often baffling decisions on the night. Chris Willmott found himself the wrong side of Richard Walker in the penalty area, but as the Rovers forward hit the deck Whitestone signalled play on. After Basham had sent Shearer the wrong way from the spot on 65 minutes for the opener, the game became an open affair. Lewis Haldane saw two claims for penalty kicks waved away, before being withdrawn by boss Paul Trollope nine minutes from the end. Rovers resorted to direct play during a tense finale but the Oxford defence stood up strong on each occasion to hang on for the points. The defeat delivers a hammer blow to Rovers' play-off hopes. Trollope's men are still four points off seventh-placed Cheltenham Town but have played a game more than their local rivals.