Oxford United’s Under 18s ended their Youth Alliance League season with a 3-0 win over Portsmouth on Saturday.
Goals from Gatlin O’Donkor, Josh Anifowose and George Franklin ensured that the U’s finished in the top fiv in the South West Division and they now go in to Merit League 1, starting with a game away at AFC Wimbledon on Saturday.
After a slow start on Saturday O’Donkor was played through on goal and fired low to the keeper’s left to give United the lead. United had further chances in the first half although Portsmouth grew into the game after the break and keeper Fraser Barnsley was called into action with an excellent save before a bullet shot from the edge of the box from Anifowose found the top left corner.
Soon after Franklin bent stunning effort into the top corner to make it 3-0 and end the season in spectacular style.
Merit League 1 will see the U’s playing AFC Bournemouth, AFC Wimbledon, Cambridge United, Exeter City, Plymouth Argyle, Portsmouth, Stevenage and one of either Gillingham, Southend United or Sutton United.
Line-ups:
Barnsley, Franklin, Zabeli, Golding, Sankoh, Johnson, Anifowose, Tiamuna (Took-Oxley), Coe, O’Donkor, Davis-Stephenson (Elliot-Wheeler)