Three game winning streak ended by Pompey
Oxford United's under 18's were beaten for just the second time this weekend when they lost 3-0 at home to Portsmouth, just four days after beating the same side in the cup. Coach Leon Blackmore-Such told us:
"Having done so well to beat the same Portsmouth side in the League Cup in midweek there was a big contrast in the way we started the game. We were sluggish and on the back foot for most of the first half. We lacked a little bit of energy and were 1-0 down at the break. Having said that, we did have a couple of chances in that half – Lewis Hayden had a good shot and George Jeacock almost got through twice – but if we’d have scored it would have been very harsh on a decent Portsmouth side.
"We asked the lads for more application and energy in the second half, but were 2-0 down when a sliced clearance was headed past Jack Stevens. We changed shape and went for broke to try and get something out of the game but that left us a bit vulnerable and we were hit on the counter to make it 3-0 at the final whistle.
"There were positives, as always. Jack Stevens was a shining light and kept us in the game, and both Malachi Napa and Kieran Diaz-Benitez came off the bench to have a positive impact in their areas of the pitch, but it was a lack of energy that cost us and maybe that level of consistency to know how to follow up one good win with another.”
United
Stevens, Welch-Hayes, McCormack (Diaz-Benitez), Ricketts, C. Hawtin, Humphries, Hayden, Graham (Napa), Bryan, Hastings, Jeacock
The under 18s are next in action on Saturday morning,19th September, when they play Cheltenham Town away.