Development Squad beat local rivals
United’s Development Squad enjoyed a fine 3-1 win in a friendly against Swindon Town at the Oxford Sports and Social Club this afternoon.
The Development Squad gives youngsters a chance to play competitive games with a path into the first team and also allows the club to give players the chance to get match sharp - Jon Meades came through another 90 minutes in this game and looks stronger with each passing game.
Meades lined up in central midfield alongside the excellent Josh Ashby with youth team winger Sam Humphreys on the left and a trialist on the right. It was the trialist who opened the scoring with a calm finish after bursting clear on the edge of the box after eight minutes.
With another trialist in central defence next to the impressive Sam Long, Matt Bevans and Dave Lynn United looked very solid while the pace and movement of front two - Ty Marsh and Josh Shama - gave United a constant threat as they dominated the first half. Marsh had a goal disallowed for offside and appeals for a penalty waved away before the break and ten minutes into the second half it was 2-0 as the same trialist charged down an attempted clearance by the Swindon keeper and rolled the rebound into an empty net.
United continued to dominate possession but the Robins got themselves back into the game on the hour as they made it 2-1 from the penalty spot, Max Crocombe going the wrong way after the defensive trialist had tripped his man inside the area.
However Swindon were held at arm’s length for the rest of the match and on 89 minutes the game was safe as Humphreys roared away and cleverly clipped the ball over the advancing keeper to make the full time score Oxford United 3 Swindon Town 1.
United
Crocombe, Bevans, Long (Grant 74), Trialist, Lynn, Trialist, Ashby, Meades, Humphreys, Shama, Marsh