Robinson: We don’t always have to live life on the edge - 7M sport

Robinson: We don’t always have to live life on the edge



Posted Sunday, November 04, 2018 by PA

Robinson: We don’t always have to live life on the edge

Karl Robinson accused his Oxford side of being overconfident as they let slip a three-goal lead in a pulsating 3-3 draw at Scunthorpe.

The visitors were well on top and cruising five minutes into the second half on the back of strikes from James Henry, Cameron Brannagan and Curtis Nelson.

But three goals in just eight minutes by Jordan Clarke, George Thomas and Charlie Goode, not long after the U’s had notched their third, saw Scunthorpe hit back to claim a point and end a run of five successive defeats.

“We can’t not play on the edge and this was the proof,” Robinson said.

“We’re not good enough not to play on the edge.

“When we’re at it and in people’s faces, when we’re aggressive and don’t get caught in areas we don’t want to be, we’re better than most sides at this level.

“I felt our final-third stuff wasn’t great today, but we’ve conceded from three set-pieces.

“Cameron Brannagan apologised when he came in the dressing room at the end of the game for giving away two of the free-kicks which led to goals.

“He plays on the edge and with that he has got to learn that when you go to people, you don’t have to go to ground or make contact.

“We’re scoring good goals from some great play and fantastic finishes, but we’re disappointed today, even though we’ve moved to six without defeat, which is a good run.”

Henry’s eighth-minute strike was all that separated the two teams at half-time, though Brannagn’s clinical finish – following good work by Henry and Jamie Mackie – and Nelson’s effort following a penalty-area scramble looked to have the game won 10 minutes into the second period.

Clarke, though, fired in from range to kick-start what had appeared an unlikely comeback, with Thomas curling a free-kick into the top corner and Goode lashing home a leveller inside eight manic minutes.

“If you’d have asked me before the game if I’d have taken a point, I’d have said ‘no’, but if you’d have asked me again at 3-0 down, I’d have snapped your hand off,” Scunthorpe manager Stuart McCall said.

“I’m proud of the comeback and the spirit we showed. That gives us something to build on.

“It was a roller coaster. We know we’ve got to be a bit more solid and harder to beat.

“You saw deficiencies in us again and a lack of confidence in certain parts and when it’s like that, and the crowd are edgy, you have to try to get forward a little bit more and get in areas that are going to hurt Oxford.

“I’m probably a bit more optimistic than pessimistic, so when I looked at the clock after we’d gone 3-0 down I just thought ‘see if you can get one goal and put a bit of pressure on’. To get three was brilliant.

“We had characters today who dragged us back in to the game. That bodes well for the future.”

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