FOOTBALL: City boss Ford praises skipper Ballard (From Bicester Advertiser)

FOOTBALL: City boss Ford praises skipper Ballard

10:10am Monday 14th January 2013 in Sport

Oxford City manager Mike Ford praised the contribution of captain Andy Ballard on his 250th start for the club, writes Matthew Bruce.

Speaking after their battling 1-0 defeat at promotion-chasing Guisley, Ford said: “I played Andy Ballard up front and he was a colossus for us.

“Nobody else who can play up front was fit, so he was our only option. “He was magnificent today, we got good balls into him and he was a real handful for their centre-halves.” Ford believes that a poor refereeing decision cost his side a deserved point.

He said: “I thought we were really good today, especially in the second half.

“We were really disciplined and I thought we could have got something.

“It’s a nailed-on free kick for the goal. The keeper gets nudged in the back, the ball goes under him and they score.

“I said to the referee before the game that when minnows like us go to the big boys they don’t get anything and we got nothing today.”