Oxford United drew 0-0 at Eastleigh this evening as their unbeaten start to pre-season continued.
Having beaten Barnet 5-1 earlier in the day, United gave the other half of the squad some much valued game time and new signing Mark Harris a first game of pre-season.
There was a chance for experienced forward Marley Watkins to impress as a trialist and he started in the best possible fashion with a perfectly timed pass for Harris to run clear after just two minutes, only for home keeper Joe McDonnell to come out on top in the one-on-one.
The game settled down after that, with Lee Bradbury’s Spitfires very disciplined and former United defender Aaron Martin marshalling their back line well. United’s brightest moments came from the effervescent Tyler Goodrham on the left of the attack, but when Ruben Rodrigues rolled him clear on 38 minutes he mirrored Harris’s earlier effort and was again denied by the legs of McDonnell.
Rodrigues is going to be entertaining to watch this season but also tracked back when required to augment Cameron Brannagan and Oisin Smyth in their deeper roles in front of the back four. All of which added up to a goalless but very watchable 90 minutes.
Harris was replaced by Billy Bodin at the break as planned, as the former works towards full fitness. That meant that all of United's senior players had seen action on the day other than Simon Eastwood (calf) and Marcus McGuane who took a slight knock in the win over Southampton B on Saturday but should feature against Swansea on Friday night.
The only other absentee at the moment is Josh Johnson, who has a quad strain and will be out for a few weeks, but that has opened the door for the next generation of Academy players, and tonight scholars Aaron Lacey, Aidan Elliott-Wheeler, Rashane Maxwell, George Franklin, and Zaide Took-Oxley all got their chance.
It was Cameron Brannagan who almost broke the deadlock with a free kick on the hour that smashed against the bar and bounced harmlessly into the bulding site behind the goal, and a late Bodin blast was pushed away once more by McDonnell so United had enjoyed the four best chances to win the game.
That would have been slightly harsh on the hard-working Spitfires - who we wish well for the season ahead - but United continue to gain shape and pattern with each game they play together.
They now look to continue the good work as we move on to a first home game of the summer when they welcome Swansea City to the Kassam Stadum on Friday. Season Ticket holders can watch that game for half price. United are in good shape: come and see for yourself.
UNITED
Beadle, Long (Franklin 70), Moore, Thorniley, Brown (Maxwell 78), Smyth, Brannagan (Took-Oxley 80), Rodrigues (Elliott-Wheeler 70), Watkins, Goodrham, Harris
Subs not used: Brearey, Lacey, Bradney
Report by Chris Williams, pictures Steve Edmunds