Oxford United's youngsters went out of the FA Youth Cup with their heads held high despite a 3-0 defeat at Manchester City this evening.
The U's were beaten by goals from Justin Oboavwoduo and a William Dickson brace, but losing at the quarter-final stage, a club record, is no disgrace and the future remains bright for the latest crop of players to come through the Academy.
There was never a question of the U’s being overawed against such exalted hosts, a side drawn from all four corners of the world rather than Oxford and surrounding towns (plus Kosovo).
The gameplan depended on closing the home side down, but that was also the plan when the U’s knocked Cardiff City and Leeds out in earlier rounds, so hard work was never going to be an issue.
Midfield trio Josh Johnson, Zaide Took-Oxley and Tobias Brenan set the tone and protected Ibby Sankoh, Max Smith, Erion Zabeli and Rashane Maxwell, while tireless front three Aidan Elliott-Wheeler, Gatlin O’Donkor and Enrique Tiamuna closed defenders down and looked to exploit any space that came their way.
However, City are a slick side and after 20 even minutes were ahead when Oboavwoduo drifted into the left channel and powered an unstoppable effort past the helpless Fraser Barnsley.
Time to dig in and stop the game slipping away before half time and Barnsley helped with an astonishing save after half an hour when Max Smith sliced a clearance towards his own net. Barnsley hasn’t had much chance to shine on this cup run, where the team have scored three goals in every game, but was excellent this evening and his team were very much still in the game at the break.
United started the second half well again, but on 66 minutes City eased into a two-goal lead when a low cross was converted at close range by Dickson and then five minutes later the same player thumped in an identical third goal to leave United needing a miracle.
Take nothing away from an excellent City side, our best wishes to them as they go on to face Arsenal in the semi-final, but United's players and staff should look back on the whole cup run, not just tonight, and do so with pride.
UNITED
Barnsley, Sankoh, Smith, Zabeli, Maxwell (Maxwell 89), Took-Oxley, Johnson, Brenan (Fowler 90), Elliott-Wheeler, O’Donkor (Burton 68), Tiamuna
SUBS
Marriott, Mole, Lacey, Iheanacho
Report by Chris Williams, pictures Steve Edmunds