Derek Adams delighted Sonny Bradley decision paid off for Plymouth
Posted Sunday, February 18, 2018 by PA
Plymouth manager Derek Adams was pleased he decided to risk Sonny Bradley after the centre-half had been sick before their game at the Kassam Stadium.
Bradley got the go-ahead just an hour-and-a-half before kick-off and then netted the winner – a towering back-post header from a corner in first-half stoppage-time – as Argyle claimed a 1-0 win over Oxford.
After his side’s fifth-straight League One win, Adams said: “That’s often the way it goes in football. It was a late decision because he’d been ill. But it was a great corner delivery from Graham Carey, and a fantastic header from Sonny.
“We deserved it. We were better than Oxford because we had the better opportunities in the game, and we didn’t concede a goal.
“We had opportunities to go further ahead, with Ryan Taylor hitting the bar, and Graham Carey having an effort blocked on the line.
“This is not an easy place to come, because Oxford’s pitch is very firm.”
Victory stretched Plymouth’s remarkable run since the start of December – when they were bottom of League One – to just one defeat in 14 games.
And Adams now takes his squad off to Spain for a well-deserved break.
He said: “We’re going to Marbella for some warm-weather training to get the players to recharge the batteries and to focus on the remaining games.
“But it will be foot down on the pedal still, and will continue to be for the rest of the season.
“The players deserve it. We’ve got 50 points with 12 games to go, which is a position we never imagined we would be in. And we want to continue with some more wins.”
Oxford United’s caretaker-manager Derek Fazackerley reflected on the lack of a cutting edge as the U’s lost for the third time in eight days.
He said: “We pretty much dominated the first half, and the second but our play in the final third, whether it was the final ball, or in front of goal, wasn’t good enough.
“We offered them very few opportunities, and were pretty well camped in their half. But unfortunately we couldn’t find the finish, and were not ruthless enough.
“But I was pleased with the performance of the team, which was head and shoulders above last week’s against Bristol Rovers.
“There was not too much wrong, apart from the result. Unfortunately, that’s what is most important in football.”
Fazackerley was frustrated with his team’s play at corners and added: “Set plays play a huge part in the game, and they probably cost us today.
“We had five or six that went straight into the goalkeeper’s hands, which is frustrating for everyone, and Plymouth scored from a corner.
“But I am sure there is enough ability in our team to turn results around.”
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