Summer signing Mark Harris appeared to hit the ground running following his arrival from Cardiff. However, the Wales international has struggled to get going in recent weeks and has failed to find the back of the net in the last seven league games for Oxford United.
Mark Harris: Player in Focus
League Form
Harris looked to prove doubters wrong following his arrival from Cardiff in the summer by scoring early. Arguably, he was never going to be that ’20-goal-a-season’ striker, but he set off looking like he had the capabilities.
A winner in Oxford’s first home game of the season against Carlisle was followed by a brace in a 2-1 victory away at Derby.
Despite not netting in the following wins over Barnsley and Charlton, the Wales international still looked a threat. But then came the turning point.
Read More: Player in Focus: Greg Leigh
Suspension
Oxford lost just their second game of the season when Port Vale came to town at the start of September.
Harris started the match but wouldn’t see out the full 90 minutes as he was sent off for violent conduct on 63 minutes.
Serving a three-game suspension, the striker would miss comfortable wins over Fleetwood, Exeter and Stevenage, with the U’s netting nine goals along the way.
He was eligible to play in the Football League Trophy, where he scored another brace and added an assist in a 3-1 victory over Northampton.
Return From Suspension
Since returning from suspension, Harris has played four league games but failed to find the back of the net. Chances haven’t been plentiful, but they’ve been there.
Results have also been decent, so it doesn’t matter if Harris doesn’t score as someone else has been. However, in the recent draw against Blackpool and defeat against Wigan, those goals and chances aren’t as abundant.
It appears that he has lost some confidence since he returned from suspension. When he missed those three games, other players stepped up and helped the team but in reality, they’ve been doing that all season.
Does Harris need another break from the first team? Does he simply need to put one away for the goals to flow? Do his teammates need to help him out more and create better opportunities?
One issue is that Oxford don’t really have an alternative striker. Youngster Gatlin O’Donkor has been used sparingly as a substitute to see out games while Leeds loanee Sonny Perkins has rarely featured. Billy Bodin came in up top during Harris’ suspension, but the Wales international doesn’t really have any competition for his position.
The U’s have two more league games this month before they kick off their FA Cup campaign with a home match against National League strugglers, Maidenhead. You feel Harris needs to find the back of the net sooner rather than later to put this drought behind him.
