Bloomfield has respect for Boro

OXFORD BOSS GETS HIS TACTICS RIGHT AS HE STIFLES BORO'S ATTACK

- By CRAIG JOHNS

Oxford United manager Matt Bloomfield gets his message across as he and Kim Helberg ponder

(OWEN HUMPHREYS/PA)

MATT Bloomfield made no apologies for his Oxford United game plan, as he spoke with pride at his side’s performance to earn a draw at ‘elite’ Middlesbrough.

Paying respect to Boro - who he described as one of the best teams in the division - Bloomfield, as expected, set his Oxford side up to be difficult to break down.

Throughout the game they were happy to let Boro have the ball, standing firm in two defensive walls that Boro struggled to break through.

Bloomfield said: "A really proud point for us because we were up against elite opposition, I think. Middlesbrough, I've watched so much of their footage and they're obviously, with Coventry, between those two teams, the best in the division.

"Their match was a real top-level game that we watched on Monday evening. We knew that we were going to be in for a tough afternoon if we weren't tactically really on it and astute. I thought the boys carried out the plan really well.