Oxford United: Dream Killers

Picture from @OUFClive

United began their FA Youth Cup campaign in a winning fashion with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Didcot Town. Although it might be expected that Oxford would brush aside lower level competition it was a relief to see them come through it unscathed, because this was a match which had 'banana-skin' written all over it. Against local opposition and away from home, there was every possibility that United could come unstuck.

Add to that the fact that youth competition has been a welcome distraction from what has been a miserable season so far for Didcot and the magnitude of this game for the hosts becomes clear. It seems money is tight at Loop Meadow this season and Didcot have struggled to compete in the Southern League Division One South and West, winning just twice in the league all season. Part of the reason they have found things so hard is that they have been forced to rely on a number of young players and their lack of experience has shown through in the side's inconsistent form.

It has, however, provided a fantastic opportunity to some of the young lads currently in their youth team and being thrust into first-team activity seems to have accelerated their progression as footballers. Their youth team are currently unbeaten in the league this season and their progress in the FA Youth Cup to reach this stage has been impressive, with victories over Binfield, Kidlington and Bournemouth FC in the qualifying rounds. Of the Didcot starting XI this evening, three – Oli Thomas, Taylor Janes and Keiran Beesley – have been regulars for the Railwaymen this season, alongside their youth team duties. Compared to our youngsters, these are seasoned pros.

And Didcot's youth team exploits seem to have provided a much-needed tonic to the inevitable apathy that settles in whenever a team is doing badly. On Saturday there were only 84 people present for Didcot's match against Fleet Town; this evening there were 291. Much of that number came hoping to see the hosts pull off an upset and it was clear that the Didcot players were fired up and ready to do just that.

Fortunately, the yellows didn't allow them the chance and it didn't take long for them to demonstrate their superior quality. In the early exchanges the ball barely left the home side's half but Oxford were constantly left frustrated by Didcot keeper Keiran Beesley. Beesley – who was previously in the Oxford youth setup before being released – has won plaudits for his performances for the Railwaymen's senior side and it was easy to see why on this evidence. He did well to keep out an early effort from the lively James Roberts after the striker had broken through the ranks to create a one-on-one situation.

Next he thwarted Gregg Hackett's long-range effort before twice denying Jamie Calvin – first from a point-blank header which had seemed destined for the net and then from a shot on the edge of the area. It was clear that it would take something special to beat Beesley and that's exactly what Josh Ashby delivered 25 minutes in, his perfectly weighted long-distance effort catching Beesley off his line before dropping into the empty net.

It was slightly busier than this during the match - honest!

In truth, Oxford should have been further ahead at half-time but with only one goal in it, the hosts remained in contention at the start of the second half and the game was finely poised. One thing you can certainly say for them is that they showed great determination to have a go at United, having been outplayed in the first 45 minutes. They came out for the second-half looking to force a way back into the game and were able to apply some decent pressure, though without creating any clear-cut chances.

Instead Oxford were able to extend their advantage to give themselves one foot in the next round as Didcot were caught on the break. Sam Humphreys raced into the box only to take a tumble over a clumsily outstretched leg. Ashby slotted home the penalty to all but end Diddy's challenge. There was a tiredness about the home side's defending for the third goal, as they were caught ball-watching at a corner and punished by Cian McCormack who was quickest to react to the ball across, heading home powerfully.

The game opened out after this as Didcot threw caution to the wind in search a consolation and as a result both sides had chances, though neither were able to make them count. Goalkeeper Barney Martin had to be on his toes to keep out Matty Woodley's spectacular effort while Roberts remained frustrated in front of goal as Beesley kept out his shot after some lovely work on the right by Humphreys.

In truth, United weren't the irresistible force they were against Swindon a few weeks ago, but then they appeared to be up against much stronger opposition, despite their lower league status. But they kept calm against a side who were clearly up for it this evening and avoided an upset in a professional manner. That's an example our first team would do well to follow in their FA Cup first round tie in a couple of weeks against Gateshead.

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Youth Team Thrash Swindon

Being unable to get to Hartlepool on Saturday, I decided to head down to Roman Way in the morning to watch the youth team in action against Swindon. Anyone who's already seen the score will, of course, understand why I'm glad I did! With just a couple of exceptions it was the first time I had seen any of the current crop of youngsters and I caught them in imperious form as they thrashed Swindon 7-1.

In truth, it was a total mismatch. As good as Oxford undoubtedly were, Swindon were poor in every area. This was plainly apparent from the moment the match began and within five minutes the yellows had a two-goal lead, thanks to the predatory instincts of James Roberts. Roberts was a revelation last season and he scored goals for fun as a first-year scholar (including the first time I had seen him play, in the Oxfordshire Senior Cup final back in May) and he was certainly a class above the Swindon defence.

His first was a looping header as he was allowed to rise unchallenged to meet a deep floated cross into the box. For his second, Roberts burst through the sluggish backline to latch onto an incisive through ball from Freddie Grant and from the moment he made his run it was clear he would score. The Swindon keeper was left helpless as Roberts coolly dinked it over him.

Of course, it wasn't all a one-man show. Roberts may have gobbled up every chance that came his way but he needed someone to create those chances for him. Enter Sam Humphreys, who was a constant threat on the wing. Time and time again he beat his man and looked to deliver a ball into the box and it was always obvious that it would lead to a goal eventually. In fact it took less than 20 minutes as Jamie Calvin tapped in the third from close range. Humphreys had again turned the Swindon full-back inside out before heading for the byline and pulling it back into the danger zone. The danger should have been cleared then and there but when defender and goalkeeper contrived to make a hash of the clearance Calvin was on hand to punish them.

Barney Martin

Swindon did pull a goal back, direct from a corner, and enjoyed a fleeting spell of pressure but Oxford never really looked in trouble. Goalkeeper Barney Martin should probably have done better for Swindon's goal but otherwise coped admirably on what was an admittedly quiet afternoon for him. He made a couple of decent saves in this period, including to spare Alfie Grant an embarrassing own goal after a cross bounced off his legs and looked destined for goal. Even more impressive is that Martin is only playing for the youth team at the moment because the first and second-choice goalkeepers, Josh Hill and Eddie Cavanagh, are both out injured. Martin usually keeps goal for the under-16s.

But as impressive as the whole team undoubtedly were, the first half really belonged to Roberts, who scored his third just before half-time on the break, pinching the ball off the feet of a static Swindon centre-back before lobbing the humiliated goalkeeper to wrap up his hat-trick. How many other times can we say we've seen an Oxford player score a first-half hat-trick against our local rivals?

The highly-rated Aidan Hawtin was introduced to the fray after the break and he looked hungry to inflict further damage on the visitors. He could have had a hat-trick himself, narrowly missing a one-on-one just moments after coming on to the field, he did well to meet an excellent defence-splitting pass but saw his effort drift agonisingly wide of the left-hand post. He had better luck on his second and third attempts, finding the net first with a header and then with a volley after getting the wrong side of the defence but on both occasions he was denied by the linesman's flag.

Having hit their opponents on the break several times in the first half (sound familiar?) Oxford's approach play in the second was more largely based around some lovely passing football. The Swindon defence were bamboozled by United's slick passing and superior movement and as a result they were able to slice through the massed Swindon ranks as if they were made of butter. Roberts got his fourth from just one such move, the yellows passing the ball around nicely on the edge of the area and when the gap inevitably opened he exploited it with a well-placed strike, finding the bottom right corner with pinpoint accuracy.

With Muctaru Conte coming off the bench to play on the left wing, Sam Humphreys was moved to the right but looked no less comfortable as an inverted winger. Given the recent discussions about our use of width in the senior team, I thought it was interesting to see that we are trying to produce players with the tactical flexibility to play on either flank. Humphreys looked very dangerous coming in centrally with the ball on his left foot and he added Oxford's sixth after a glorious passing move had opened up space on the left, allowing Hunphreys the simple task of tapping in the cross with his stronger foot.

Having been pulled around all match Swindon by now looked exhausted and they collapsed towards the end, having briefly looked like they'd tightened up at the back in the earlier stages of the second half. But the exhausted and disheartened defence could do nothing to stop the sprightly Hawtin from finally getting his goal when he latched onto a through-ball from Humphreys and slotted in for the seventh.

It's difficult to make any firm judgements about the team or make forecasts about the future of these players based just on one match, especially one as one-sided as this one. But based on the evidence on display in this game, the future is looking incredibly bright for some of these lads and for the club in general if this is the standard of player they're producing. With the development squad now in place to ease their progression into senior football the club is now better set up than ever before to nurture the obvious talent on display in our youth team.

Team: B Martin, Clarke, F Grant, Ashby, A Grant, McCormack, D Martin, George, Roberts, Calvin, Humphreys

Subs: Hawtin, Hackett, Conte, Welch-Hayes, Hayden

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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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MATCH REPORT: Oxford United 4-2 Oxford City

Oxford United are champions of Oxfordshire for the fourth time in five years after missing out on last year's final. It was an unusual match-up as a full-strength Oxford City side fresh from a successful debut season in the Conference North took on an experimental United lineup comprised of a mixture of young pros/youth team players and a smattering of current first-teamers (most of whom, I suspect, will have had their minds on the announcement of the retained list the following day).

City have just come off the back of a ridiculous run of matches, playing 12 games in April (an average of three matches per week) but if that left them tired out they didn't show it in the opening stages of the match as they threatened to run riot against the cobbled-together United side. 19-year-old Max Crocombe, who has looked assured in his recent first-team performances, was given a particularly tough time in the first half, finding himself caught out by a free-kick from United old-boy Jamie Cook, who was unlucky to see his effort come back off the frame of the goal.

Picture from @OUFCsNumber31

Cook was left cursing his luck again shortly after when another dangerous shot struck the post, but he was given a golden opportunity to get his name on the scoresheet when City were awarded a penalty. A nice passing move (which would have been impossible on the boggy surface of Court Place Farm – or at the Kassam for most of this season!) removed the youthful United defence from equation and as Cook burst through on goal he was brought down by Crocombe, who can consider himself lucky not to have been shown red. Cook made no mistake from the spot and City deservedly led at the break.

But while United were mostly reduced to chasing shadows for much of the first half, they responded well in the second and looked a lot brighter as the side began to settle. Youth team player Josh Ashby levelled the scores not long after the break with an excellent left-footed shot from outside the area which crept past City's teenage goalkeeper Nick Townsend (on loan from Birmingham).

And United were clearly in the ascendancy as they took the lead when Tyrone Marsh – who has been in good goalscoring form at Conference South Staines Town, scoring nine times in 16 appearances to help them avoid relegation – replicated Ashby's goal from the other side of the area. This appeared to sting City into action and they drew themselves level almost immediately as the commanding Darren Pond seized on a defensive mistake and slipped in top-scorer Felipe Barcelos to slide the ball past Crocombe. City were, perhaps understandably, the most keen to avoid extra time and pushed hard for a winner, but none came and the sides were forced to play an extra 30 minutes.

City were clearly tiring and JP Pittman – in his final appearance in a yellow shirt – took advantage as he accelerated through a gap in the defence and slipped the ball past Townsend to restore the lead. And from this point there looked to be little doubt about the final outcome, which was sealed in the final moments by substitute James Roberts – who has been on fire for the youth team this season – as he latched onto an excellent ball from Sam Long, beat his man and fired home to bring the Oxfordshire Senior Cup back to the Kassam.

It's always nice to end the season with some silverware, but more important to me was the interesting lineup which seemed symbolic of the transition the club is going through at the moment. As we said goodbye to Jon-Paul Pittman, Simon Heslop and Tony Capaldi – all of whom have now been released by the club – we were also given a glimpse into the future, with teenagers Max Crocombe, Sam Long, David Lynn, Tyrone Marsh, Callum O'Dowda, Josh Ashby and James Roberts all featuring. For many of those young players, this was the first chance they have had to test themselves against senior level opposition of Oxford City's quality and they rose to the challenge well. From tonight's indications, the future may be bright for this generation of youngsters.

Picture from @OxfordMailOUFC

United: Crocombe, Davies, Long, Capaldi, Lynn, Pittman, Heslop, Ashby, O'Dowda, Marsh, Constable (C)

City: Townsend, Benjamin, Learoyd, Willmott, Stonehouse, Pond, Ballard (C), Malone, Bell, Barcelos, Cook

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Something to be Proud Of

There's no doubting that this season has been a depressing one for Oxford fans. The club has stuttered through the season and we're now a full ten points off the play-offs with just 14 games remaining, our promotion hopes looking distinctly forlorn. Long, spirit-crushing winless runs, controversial signings and a ridiculous list of injuries have characterised the season and against this backdrop large numbers of supporters have begun to stay away as the good-feeling and momentum of just a couple of years ago begins to look increasingly like another false dawn.

But it's not all doom and gloom. Though this season can be considered a disaster in terms of the first team and financially, the club has made huge strides forward in other areas. Unfortunately these are the areas that we fans rarely get more than a glimpse of. And while it can be difficult to find anything positive to say while we're watching our side get effortlessly picked apart by Fleetwood bloody Town in front of barely 5,000 fans, I think it's important that we do take a moment to praise the achievements of the club in other areas and to restore some of our pride in Oxford United.

Because although the first team's disappointing efforts have drawn comparisons with the side that was relegated from the Football League in 2006, and although some of the doom-mongers will tell anyone and everyone that that's the direction we are heading, the club is actually in a vastly different situation now. Back in 2006 Firoz Kassam's systematic dismantling of everything that made the club a real football club – a community asset – was reaching its inevitable conclusion. The youth system which had produced some excellent local products in the 90s and early 00s lay in ruins, decimated by chronic neglect and underfunding. The club's community activities had shrunk to nothing and its reputation in the local area was at rock bottom.

When WPL took over the club they had essentially inherited a ruin of a football club – one which was staring non-league oblivion in the face. It wasn't just the first team that was in poor shape, the whole club had been reduced to barely a shadow of its former self. The easy option – and the one which the club initially seemed to be taking in the first season in the Conference – was to pump money into the first team and attempt to win immediate promotion. But that would only have been papering over the cracks, because all the damage that had been done elsewhere would remain unfixed. Instead the last five or six years have been a rebuilding job at all levels, a slow and steady process which is now at last beginning to bear some fruit.

For the first time in years we've seen some products of the youth team come through and impress, with Tyrone Marsh and Max Crocombe both looking promising in recent glimpses. Sure, we've had players like Aaron Woodley and Alex Fisher in recent years, but neither looked as promising as these two and neither really delivered in the end. But Marsh has already looked a real prospect, scoring his first goal for the club in the JPT against Southend, as well as impressing at Conference South level while on loan at Staines Town. He put in a man-of-the-match performance and then scored the winner in his debut against Bath City and has continued to feature prominently there. A bit of regular competitive football can only help his development. Crocombe has also found himself thrown into first team action this season due to the injury to Ryan Clarke and has acquitted himself very well there. Ian Lenagan even said at the fans forum that Crocombe might have been our number one choice for the rest of the season, if not for the fact that he is due to fly to Fiji in March with the New Zealand under-20 squad.

He's not the only product of Oxford's youth system getting international recognition. Youth teamer Marvin Ekpiteta has been called up to represent Nigeria at under-20 level as well. And another two of Oxford's girls Academy players, Laura Nichol and Ella Franklin-Fraiture, have also been rewarded with an international call-up. They have just spent the last few days at an England under-17 training camp at St George's Park – part of the preparations for under-17s European competition – and both featured in a 1-0 win for England against Wales.

All of this is a good example of the huge amount of work that has gone into bringing our youth system up to scratch in the last few years and bodes well for the future. The youth team have had a remarkable season, currently sitting top of their league after winning an incredible 13 consecutive competitive matches between September and December, as well as reaching the third round of the FA Youth Cup.

The continuing success of the ladies team is another example of the strides the club has been making away from the first team. They feature in the fourth round of the Women's FA Cup for the first time this weekend, as they play at the Kassam Stadium for the first time ever when Newcastle United come to town. They are top of their league this season, after getting promoted in style just last season, and have ambitious plans for the future. This is a side which didn't even exist just a few years ago, and the progress they have made has been little short of remarkable.

And, to cap it all, the club's community activity has earned it recognition from the Football League, with a nomination for Family Club of the Year and an Unsung Hero award for Community Officer Peter Rhoades-Brown. The Youth & Community Sports Trust has become a lot more visible in the past year as well, hosting a range of fundraising events, such as the recent Oxford United on Ice event to the upcoming Charity Breakfast.

What this shows is that there has been a considerable effort to build this club from the ground up, not just to create a first team. So things haven't exactly gone to plan for our League Two promotion hopes, but that's no reason to simply give up on the club altogether. We have a lot to be proud of and it's time we showed our pride.

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Why Futsal is the Future for Oxford

The name Oxford Lions is probably unfamiliar to you. That's no surprise, this club is a baby both in terms of its size and age. However, in just over a year's existence they have risen to become one of the leading futsal clubs in the country. Perhaps the whirlwind success of the Lions is something we at OUFC should look to for inspiration.

Youth Begins to Bear Fruit for OULFC

Picture from Manchester City Ladies FC

The Oxford United Ladies team has had a remarkable season so far, currently boasting a 100% record in the league (with a goal difference of +44) and coming off the back of a run to the third round of the FA Cup for the first time in the club's short history. That being the case, it's about time they were featured on these pages, where their success has gone criminally unreported.

Youth Team Unlucky to Lose Out

The under 18s were desperately unlucky to exit the FA Youth Cup at the hands of Premier League Bolton Wanderers on a bitterly cold evening at the Kassam Stadium. This was the first time any of these players had had the chance to play at the ground and they were all clearly eager to make the most of the opportunity. The match was watched by a good crowd of 451, curious at the opportunity to see future Oxford stars in action. Oxford progressed to the Third round after beating a highly fancied Dulwich Hamlet team, while Bolton, as a Premier Academy League team, entered the competition at this stage. However, with Bolton at the bottom of their league the tie was ripe for a cup upset.

VIDEO: Girls Academy

I stumbled across this video on Youtube the other day and found it quite interesting, so it's worth sharing. It was filmed by German broadcaster Deutsche Welle ahead of this summer's Women's World Cup, when the England women's team played Sweden in a friendly at the Kassam ahead of the tournament. As well as some stuff about the history of the women's game and England's preparation for the World Cup, the main feature is on Oxford's Girls Academy. It's not terribly informative, but it gives an interesting insight into a part of the club that we as fans don't often see.