Lewis wants Oxford United to keep Barnet buzz (From Banbury Cake)

Lewis wants Oxford United to keep Barnet buzz

9:30am Friday 15th March 2013 in Sport By David Pritchard, Chief Sports Reporter covering Oxford United. Follow us on twitter: @oxfordmailoufc. Call me on 01865 425458

MICKEY Lewis is hoping the high generated by Oxford United’s last-gasp victory in midweek will carry into tomorrow’s meeting with Chesterfield.

Missed opportunities looked like they would cost United dear on Tuesday as the game with Barnet headed into stoppage time.

But in the 50th minute of the second half Michael Raynes seized his chance to head in the winner from close range.

The 1-0 win came as a huge relief to the home fans, who had seen their side win just once in the previous six games.

Lewis admitted the thrill of the late victory was still clear to see at training the following day and he thinks the supporters will have felt the same.

Now United’s assistant manager is keen to see the team and the fans pick up where they left off when Chesterfield arrive tomorrow – providing it does not breed over-confidence.

He said: “We haven’t picked up lots of results at home recently and I think that was an important result on Tuesday.

“To get it in that manner late on it gives everyone, including the crowd, more of a buzz.

“You want to keep the buzz, definitely, but you have to make sure it doesn’t slip into complacency.

“I don’t think the manager or the staff would allow that, but I don’t think the players would either.

“The skipper and senior players were onto each other in training on Wednesday.

“You just have to take one game at a time, churn the results out and if it takes until the 90th minute to score then so be it.”

A haul of 16 points from the last seven games has taken United up six places to ninth.

They are on the fringes of the play-off race but will need to maintain the form to stand a chance of breaking into the top seven.

While the U’s have been encouraged to play without fear, Lewis knows there must still be a balance.

He said: “It comes to the stage of the season where you have no choice but to go for it.

“It’s important that even though we are doing that, we are nice and sensible during a game, as I thought we were against Barnet.

“As we saw with the Rotherham game you can’t afford to go a couple of goals down.

“Although we are going for it you still have to be nice and solid behind that.”

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