MATCH REPORT: Didcot Town 0-3 Oxford United

Tyrone Marsh bagged himself a brace as the development squad strolled to a straightforward 3-0 win at Didcot Town. Triallist Dylan McGlade did his cause no harm with a fine performance, capping it with an excellent solo goal.

You could have been forgiven for thinking that Didcot were still in the changing room after 15 minutes, such was United's dominance in the opening stages of the match. Aidan Hawtin was the first to try his luck, shooting narrowly wide after just two minutes. Moments later Marsh drew the first save of the game as he connected with a cross from Hawtin. In fact, Didcot goalkeeper Gareth Tucker was all that stood between Oxford and a commanding early lead, making an exceptional reaction save to deny Marvin Ekpiteta who rose to meet another Hawtin cross. But the goal that Oxford had been threatening came soon enough, as Marsh darted in to nod home after McGlade had twisted and tricked his way past his man and delivered a dangerous ball in.

Didcot were stung into action and finally began to probe the young Oxford defence. Just minutes after falling behind, the hosts had the ball in the net themselves when Harry Halls rose to head in a free-kick. However, as Halls wheeled away in celebration the linesman's flag went up and the goal was disallowed. It looked a marginal decision which left the Didcot players and fans unhappy, but having dominated so far it would have been harsh for Oxford to be pulled back level after Didcot's first attack of the game.

But having started like a freight train, Oxford had by now slowed down to more of a slower chug (sorry, couldn't resist!), though they were still easily in control of the match. McGlade added a second just before the half-hour mark after twisting and turning past several challenges before slotting past Tucker.

Josh Shama was causing all sorts of problems for the Didcot defence as well and he came close to giving Oxford a third with a header, but Joel Meade was on hand to clear it off the line. But Crocombe was called into action shortly before half-time to palm away a free-kick as the Railwaymen sought a route back into the match.

Picture from @OxfordMailOUFC

But it was Oxford who remained on the front foot after the break and Hawtin came agonisingly close to adding a third as he saw his powerful shot come thundering back off the underside of the bar. Tucker again had to be on his toes to turn away shots from David Lynn, Josh Ruffels and Scott Davies (not all at the same time) but there was only so much he could do as the chances just kept coming. Marsh got his second of the night after some good work out wide from substitute Gregg Hackett, slipping the ball past the keeper for Oxford's third.

The yellows made several changes to give some of the youth team players some game-time, but still United's dominance continued. James Roberts came on for the final ten minutes and came close to grabbing a goal himself as he burst through the middle of the defence, but was unable to prod it past the goalkeeper.

Didcot could be in for a tough time this season, if their pre-season is anything to go by. As well as being comfortably beaten by United's development squad tonight, they suffered a worrying 4-0 defeat against an experimental Oxford City side, as well as troubling defeats against Hellenic League sides Milton United and Ardley United. Let's hope they're saving their best for when the season gets underway!

As for us, Marsh, Shama, Hawtin and McGlade put in impressive individual performances, but what impressed me most was that they put on such a coherent display having only been thrust together as a group this summer. Already there are signs of an understanding between several of these players and perhaps that bodes well for our development system as a whole. I'll be very interested to see how they develop over the course of the season.

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Twin Goals for Oxford this Season

“Failure to win promotion this season will be a disaster.”

We've all heard that phrase, or some form of equivalent, before. Inevitably it gets an airing at some stage every season and yet, after several seasons of failing to win promotion the club is still standing and, most importantly, still able to raise a competitive side in League Two. But by forcing ourselves to believe that every season is a potentially pivotal one in the history of the club are we piling unnecessary pressure on ourselves? It seems this kind of attitude remains something of a hangover from the Conference days, when the future of the club really was at stake - but is it any more? If the club remains at this level for too long with little sign of being promoted then, yes, its potential to grow will be stunted, but this is a gradual process over a number of years, not dependent on the result of one season.

Which is all a rather roundabout way of saying that the season ahead is important (as they all are) but not necessarily a pivotal one as far as the club's future is concerned. Promotion is again expected, and rightly so, but if we fail to achieve it the club will still be here next year. However, for one person in particular this season really is pivotal. If it turns out to be similar to the last one it seems difficult to believe that Chris Wilder will still be in the hotseat and preparing for another shot at promotion in 2014-15.

For a large section of the Oxford support, patience with Wilder dried up at some point during the last campaign. It was indeed a dreary, morale-sapping season with very few highlights and it's unsurprising that some of the supporters got a little tetchy. This summer's transfer dealings have certainly restored the faith among quite a few of those fans, but make no mistake that patience is most definitely not a virtue the United 'faithful' possess in droves at the moment and a poor start to the season could result in the atmosphere around the ground becoming poisonous very early into the season. The 'Wilder out campaign' has been noticeably quiet during the summer months, but it won't take much for those rumblings to stir once again. Fortunately, Ian Lenagan seems like a steady type and unless the club is in danger of relegation it seems likely that he will allow Wilder to see the season out no matter how loud the protests.

But there can certainly be no mistaking Wilder's intentions this year. He doesn't simply want to cling to his job for another year and see the season out; he knows that this season really is pivotal for his career and has gone about assembling a side that he believes will be lifting the League Two trophy at the end of the season. For all the noises last year about challenging for promotion, I suspect he knew very early on that it wouldn't happen and that for many of those players (most of whom had been signed on two-year deals the previous summer) it was simply a case of seeing out the remainder of their contract. That's given Wilder plenty of time to think about how he's going to build his side and to correct some of the problems that have dogged recent cohorts.

Gone are the injury-prone stars who missed much of last season. Gone are the mercurial wing-backs and forward three of previous Wilder sides. Gone is the 4-3-3 formation which often looked nice, but failed to deliver in the hustle and bustle of League Two. The buzzword for this year's vintage is 'robust'; unlike in previous years, this time we've made it a priority that new signings are physically capable of surviving the campaign, with a more stringent medical weeding out those potential recruits who would be likely to spend more time on the treatment table than the pitch.

Wilder has also built this side to fit into the more standard 4-4-2 formation favoured during the latter half of last season. Some might think that an unimaginative system but it proved last season to be more effective and with Wilder experimenting with 4-3-3/4-5-1 at times during pre-season as well, the side should hopefully be more tactically flexible this season than in previous years. With Alfie Potter and Sean Rigg on the wings (with Callum O'Dowda another realistic option if he continues his good form) the name of the game this season is getting the ball into the channels and then into the mixer for Kitson, Smalley, Beano et al to finish.

The side is packed with quality at either end of the pitch, with the marquee signings of Dave Kitson and Johnny Mullins meaning that we undoubtedly have among the most impressive defensive and attacking units in the league. Question marks remain, however, over our midfield and players like Asa Hall, Danny Rose and Jonathan Meades all have a point to prove this season for a variety of reasons. Should they fail to step up, we could be left with the same problems we've faced in recent seasons. You can have the best attackers in the world, but if they get no service we will again struggle to score goals. Likewise, even the most solid of back fours will leak goals if it's not protected adequately.

One other stated change in approach is the decision to recruit promising young hopefuls who have been discarded by other clubs' academies to fill out the development squad. With Josh Shama (Reading), Kenzer Lee (West Ham) and Matt Bevans (Watford) joining the recent youth team graduates – and with Josh Ruffels (Coventry) and Ryan Williams (Fulham) also looking likely to sign – the makeup of the squad this season is markedly different to what we're used to seeing. The majority of the budget is concentrated on a relatively small pool of first team players, with a large group of young and inexperienced players ready to step up and provide cover if needed.

This should reduce the need for so many loanees this term, which should avoid the problem of having to repeatedly stretch the budget to pay for them, but the result is that it is imperative that we don't suffer a similar injury crisis to recent seasons. The 5-1 demolition job at Oxford City demonstrated that, no matter how talented this crop of youngsters may be, we can't afford to carry more than one or two of them at a time in senior football.

That result may have set a few alarm bells ringing, but actually shouldn't have been such a surprise when viewed sensibly. City are a highly disciplined side with a good number of experienced former pros in their ranks and look strong this year (they destroyed Didcot Town the weekend before we played them and held a strong Wycombe side to a draw just days after). For many of these young players, this was the first time they had really played together in a proper match and they were to a certain extent thrown in at the deep end.

We should gain a better understanding as the season draws on which of those players will be able to step up to League Two, but there are some positive signs already that some could become future stars. Of course the priority for these players this season is progression, not a starring role. The real responsibility for the first team falls squarely on the shoulders of Messrs Kitson, Mullins et al, but that should distract from the fact that there is definitely a dual aim this season; immediate promotion for the first team, while producing the next generation of Oxford players with the new development squad. Not an easy balancing act to get right, but at this stage, with the season stretched ahead of us, the signs are good that we just might achieve both of those aims.

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Oxford United 1-0 Coventry City

Oxford ended their pre-season campaign on a positive note with a 1-0 win at the Kassam Stadium over League One Coventry City. Though the match was very much a friendly in nature, lacking the intensity of the real thing, it's always good to start the season with the winning habit and they're certainly going to need a running start with a sold-out trip to Portsmouth awaiting next weekend.

Oxford City 5-1 Oxford United: Story of the Match

Some of our younger players were taught a sharp lesson against local neighbours Oxford City, finding themselves on the end of a 5-1 drubbing from the Conference North side. It may only be a pre-season friendly, but it was nonetheless disconcerting to see our defence pulled apart so effortlessly by part-time players. Nonetheless, we've trawled through Twitter to bring you this report – if you can stomach it!

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Oxford United 1-1 Birmingham City: Story of the Match

United came away from their first home friendly with a creditable 1-1 draw against Championship side Birmingham City.

Here's our report, the first of a new format for TBFUTH, building on our well received 'Match in Tweets' series from last season. Any feedback would be much appreciated (you can Tweet us or leave a comment at the bottom of this page) on the change. Would you like to see this format for every match, or should we stick with normal match reports whenever possible? You decide!

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MATCH REPORT: Wantage Town 2-1 Oxford United

By Harry Burton

Oxford United U18's went down 2-1 to a strong Wantage Town side but put up a good display and in truth deserved something from the game. Oxford went into the game on the back of an emphatic 10-1 win over Deddington Town on Saturday while Wantage had a 2-1 success over Milton United. With Oxford's first team playing in Scotland against Alloa Athletic, it was a chance for the Oxford fans that didn't travel to see the promising talent coming through the ranks such as Aidan Hawtin, Josh Ashby, James Roberts, Marvin Ekpiteta and Eddie Cavanagh. It was a cool evening so the conditions were a lot better than the sweltering temperatures of Saturday.

The opening stages were fairly even and both sides played the ball around well with a fairly flat playing surface to play on at Alfredian Park. Oxford's Muctaru Conte looked lively with pacy runs down the left wing, while Wantage's Anaclet Odhiambo - brother of former Oxford player Eddie Anaclet - linked up well with the powerful forward Jimmy Deabill. Wantage had a few tame efforts on goal with some rolling harmlessly wide or falling into the reliable hands of Cavanagh. From defence to attack there were great passes being exchanged by Oxford which is exactly what the supporters want to see at all age groups of the club.

Hawtin rolled a shot wide as Oxford started to create space around the box after good spells of possession. But soon after at the other end Wantage had a great opportunity to take the lead as a free kick found Deabill in the box, but he shot wide. Oxford began to give away possession as Wantage started to create more chances and the hosts came close when a cross was headed over by Deabill. Deabill was proving to be a menace to the Oxford defence and went close when a clearance from Cavanagh rebounded off him, but it rolled wide of the goal.

Wantage took the lead when a low cross was drilled in from the right by Tom Austin and the defence froze, giving Odhiambo room in the box to score a tap in. Oxford had defended well until then but a simple lapse in concentration was costly. Wantage began to press for a second and Cavanagh caught a dangerous-looking dropping ball with Odhiambo ready to pounce. Oxford then had an excellent chance to equalise when Aidan Hawtin ran into the box but he fired his shot at the goalkeeper. The last action of the half was Wantage's goalkeeper Sharkey making an excellent save from a Sam Humphries header.

Oxford started the second half well with plenty of possession but soon after fell further behind. A Wantage cross caused a scramble in the box and Danny Lachacz reacted first and poked it into the net to make it 2-0. Oxford stepped it up to try and rescue something from the game and could have had a penalty after an apparent push on Aidan Hawtin, but the referee waved the protests away.

Soon after Oxford pulled a goal back, a poor punch by Wantage sub goalie Matt Collis fell to Josh Ashby and his shot found the corner of the net to make it 2-1. Wantage then went close again after a scramble but the shot went just wide of the post. The game then started to become a midfield affair with both sides' defences holding firm and reducing each other to shots from distance.

In the latter stages of the game the Oxford defence let Wantage in but Cavanagh came out to clear the danger. Oxford didn't create any real chances in the closing stages bar one deflected shot into the keeper's hands. Richie Guy went close with a lobbed effort which went just over the bar for Wantage and soon after the referee bought proceedings to a close.

Despite the result Oxford can take a lot of positives from the game. They certainly dealt with a powerful side well, which was impressive considering it was a young Oxford side. Oxford deserved something from the game but it wasn't meant to be and they now move on to a friendly with Abingdon United while the first team are in action at the border boys of Berwick Rangers.

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Your Guide to Alloa and Berwick

It's that time again. The players have been back in for pre-season training, we've played our first friendly at the weekend against Ardley United and now the club jet off on their pre-season tour. Recent years have seen the club head off to America, but this year they're staying a little closer to home with friendlies arranged against Alloa Athletic and Berwick Rangers in Scotland. This will come as good news to those who have been sceptical as to the benefits of the American tours, but somehow a tour of Scotland just doesn't have the same sense of adventure about it.

However, it still offers the opportunity to play against some unfamiliar opposition and offers more fans the chance to travel to the games, so as in previous years, here is our guide to the opposition we will face over the next week.

Alloa Athletic

Alloa Athletic were formed in 1878, winning the Scottish Football Union in 1907 and the Central Football League in 1913 before being accepted into the Scottish Football League in 1921. They won promotion to the top flight in their debut season but were immediately relegated and remained in the Second Division until winning promotion in 1939. Unfortunately, the outbreak of World War Two resulted in the cancellation of football and when the SFL resumed in 1946 the Wasps were placed back in Division Two.

They remained there until the Scottish Football League was reorganised into three divisions in 1975, with Alloa being placed in Division Three. They became something of a yo-yo club, bouncing around between the Second and Third divisions until further league reorganisation placed them in the new Fourth Division in 1994. Alloa won the fourth-tier Division Three title in 1998, adding to that the Scottish Challenge Cup in 2000 (one of just four clubs from outside the top tier of the competition to win it) and have spent most of their time since then in the third tier, until their relegation in 2011.

Since then two successive promotions have lifted the club to their highest point in a decade, with the Wasps winning promotion as Division Three champions in 2012. They won promotion from Division Two as play-off winners last season after finishing second in the league, beating Dunfermline in a two-legged final. They are currently preparing for life in the new SPFL second tier.

Alloa play at the 3,400-capacity Recreation Park, which has been their home since 1895. Floodlights weren't installed until 1979, making it one of the last grounds in Scotland to be lighted. A record 15,467 squeezed into the Recs for a Scottish Cup tie against Celtic in 1955, but these days the Wasps are watched by a rather more modest crowd of around 600-700. They began their pre-season schedule with a 1-1 draw against East Fife in a friendly and beat Airdrieonians 3-2 on Monday evening.

Berwick Rangers

Berwick Rangers are perhaps most famous for being the only English club to play their football in the Scottish leagues. Based in the border town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, the club was formed in 1884 and first became affiliated to the Scottish FA in 1905 when it joined the Scottish Border League, having been refused entry to the North Northumberland league because it was too remote.

They joined the Scottish Football League in 1951, remaining in the Second Division until the creation of the Third Division in 1975 when, along with Alloa, they were placed in the new third tier. They remained at this level for several years until their relegation to the fourth tier in 1997 and though the club has had forays back into the third tier, they have mostly remained a basement division club ever since.

The club has seen more success in the cups, reaching the final of the 2012 Scottish Challenge Cup, losing to Queen's Park on penalties. Berwick also have an impressive history in the Scottish Cup, reaching the quarter-final in 1954 and famously beating Rangers in 1967. The Wee Gers recorded another famous result against their Glasgow counterparts at the beginning of last season, with a 1-1 draw at Shielfield Park. Berwick finished last season midtable in Division Three, ending the season with a 1-0 defeat away at Ibrox.

Shielfield Park has been Berwick's home since 1954, shared with speedway team Berwick Bandits. Its capacity is 4,100, though the ground rarely sees crowds higher than 550. Interestingly, the Main Stand when the ground opened had been purchased from Bradford City's Valley Parade, though the roof was removed in 1990 due to safety reasons after ownership of the ground passed to a greyhound promoter when the club got into financial trouble.

These days the ground is owned by the Berwick Supporters' Club and the club appears to be a model of stability. They finished fifth last season, after recent finishes of seventh, sixth and sixth (out of ten), so will be hoping for an improvement on midtable this season! They began their pre-season with a 1-1 draw against Northern League side Ashington on Sunday.

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MATCH REPORT: Ardley United 1-2 Oxford United

Ah, football is back. Oxford got their pre-season campaign underway with a leisurely 2-1 win at sun-drenched Ardley United. The yellows fielded a separate XI in each half, allowing almost everyone to get 45 minutes under their belts. New signings Jonathan Meades, David Hunt, Tom Newey and Dave Kitson made their debuts with the returning Asa Hall and Danny Rose also featuring. In addition, trialists Matt Heath (previously of Colchester), Matt Bevans (Watford) and Kenzer Lee (West Ham) also got a run out.

No one expects to see a full-blooded contest in the first pre-season friendly of the summer, so it was little surprise that the game started off slowly with the Oxford players taking their time to get into a passing rhythm. Oxford, shooting down the considerable slope at Ardley's Playing Fields ground, had the first chance as Tyrone Marsh latched onto Sean Rigg's cross but could keep it down and the ball rocketed over the bar.

Ardley responded with the best chance of the half after some sloppy defensive work as Clarke was forced to rush out of his goal to meet a short backpass and, seizing the opportunity, Troy Bryan fired the ball towards the unguarded net and was unlucky to see his shot cannon back off the underside of the bar.

Oxford's defence were rarely troubled for the rest of the first half and although they created a few half-chances to take the lead, with Meades going close from a header and Marsh shooting into the keeper's arms, in truth neither side really looked like scoring in a pleasant but uneventful first half.

Picture from @OUFCGoldenBoy

Oxford's second half XI looked far more lively, with Dave Kitson and Callum O'Dowda standing out in particular. Kitson made an impression immediately, chasing down the Ardley goalkeeper and then squaring the ball to Alfie Potter whose deflected left-footed shot found the net to give Oxford the lead.

O'Dowda was looking lively out on the left, beating several defenders with a mazy run before crossing for Deane Smalley, but the ball was played just too far in front for the striker to reach it and finish what would have been a spectacular move.

Ardley seemed unable to get into the visitors' half despite the assistance of the slope but they drew level on one rare foray into the Oxford area after being awarded a soft penalty for a push. Ryan Brooks (brother of Jamie) fired home the equaliser.

Oxford continued to look the better side but despite spending a lot of time around the Ardley area they seemed unable to convert their possession into clear-cut chances. Smalley, who put himself about well all afternoon, was unlucky to see his curling effort tipped wide by the goalkeeper in the dying minutes, but finally got his reward from the resulting corner, escaping his man and heading powerfully home.

Minutes later the referee blew the final whistle and the Oxford fans who made up the vast majority of the 670 attendance went home happy. Ardley were the perfect opposition for the occasion – competitive but not overly physical and they gave us a thoroughly good workout. A good day all round.

Picture from @maybejames

First half XI: Ryan Clarke, David Hunt, Matt Heath, Jake Wright, Dave Lynn, Scott Davies, Andy Whing, Jonathan Meades, Tyrone Marsh, James Constable, Sean Rigg

Second half XI: Max Crocombe, Matt Bevans, Michael Raynes, Kenzer Lee, Tom Newey, Alfie Potter, Asa Hall, Danny Rose, Callum O'Dowda, Dave Kitson, Deane Smalley

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MATCH REPORT: Seacoast United Phantoms 1-1 Oxford United

With United out in the States, most fans have been unable to attend their most recent pre-season friendlies. One man who has been fortunate enough is Richard Brown, Massachusetts resident and Oxford United supporter. Here is his report on the U's 1-1 draw with the Seacoast United Phantoms.

Pre-Season Tour Preview

If there was a slight sense of déjà vu surrounding the decision to return to America during this pre-season, the atmosphere surrounding the club – and therefore the subsequent reaction from fans – was a little different. Whereas this time last year, a pre-season trip to the States was something of an exciting novelty, when the news broke this year it was regarded as a 'waste of money' and 'a nice jolly for the coaching staff and the chairman'.

The reality, of course, is that while last season's trip did have its downsides, it offered a great opportunity for team bonding and great facilities for a pre-season fitness camp. With the recent upswell of optimism following Ian Lenagan's decision to step in as executive chairman, such criticisms appear to have become far more muted.

A Sign of Things to Come, or Jamie Guy Syndrome?

So, preseason is finished and the club has come through it unbeaten (that is, if we ignore the youth team's 4-2 defeat to Witney Town). However, as previous experience has taught us, good preseason results have little bearing on the team's actual competitive performance once the league campaign gets underway. This doesn't mean, however, that there is nothing that we can learn from this year's preseason performances.

In Profile: Summer Signings

Oxford have returned home from their tour of the States and begin their home friendlies on Saturday which, for many fans, will be the first opportunity to see the new signings in the flesh. Some of the new players will already be familiar to Oxford fans, others less so, but as we will be kicking off the new season with so many new faces in the squad, we thought it might be helpful to provide you with a brief introduction as well as a little information on our new recruits ahead of their debut appearances on Oxonian soil.

Tour Highlights

The US tour is now over and our hosts Seacoast United have kindly uploaded video highlights of all three of Oxford's matches to YouTube. I'm sure this is old news to some, but for the benefit of those who haven't yet had the chance to see any of the action from those matches you can now see all of them at the bottom of this page.

Some Concerns About Our Preseason Preparations

As a football club with a tendency to start the season in title-winning form only to suffer a catastrophic capitulation in the later stages (think 94/95, 03/04, 06/07, 09/10), it seems we are traditionally better prepared than most clubs at the start of the season – it's only later on that problems appear! However, this year I feel we may have made some mistakes which could later come back to haunt us.

TBFUTH's Guide to Oxford's American Tour

On July 11^th the players and staff of Oxford United will fly out to America for their preseason tour, to play two matches against the Seacoast United Phantoms of New Hampshire and one match against Mass United FC of Massachusetts. Both clubs play in the fourth tier of American 'soccer', but like most of us over here I knew nothing about the lower levels of football in America, so I decided to do a little digging to see if I could get a feel of what to expect when the yellows take to the (artificial) turf out in the US of A.