Oxford United finished their pre-season campaign this afternoon with a defeat against Sicilian side Palermo FC, who play in Serie B, the second tier of Italian football. Both goals came in quick succession in the second half, from Dario Šarić and Roberto Insigne, as Palermo took control.
Oxford started with the back five that looks nailed on to start the season against Norwich City in a week's time, with Jamie Cumming in goal behind right-back Peter Kioso, centre-backs Elliott Moore and Ciaron Brown, and left-back Joe Bennett, with Wil Vaulks the shield in front of them.
Cameron Brannagan and Rúben Rodrigues again took up the number 10 position, with the width provided by Tyler Goodrham on the right and a first appearance in United colours for Przemysław Płacheta. Mark Harris ploughed the lone furrow up front.
The game started at a rather sedate pace, with the first bit of excitement provided by Płacheta, who exchanged passes with Rodrigues only for his cross to go behind the three United players who had made their way into the area. It was Płacheta's cross in the 11th minute that caused further problems for Palermo's defence, but it drifted just over Goodrham.
Oxford came close again in the 17th minute when Brannagan's long ball found Goodrham. It looked like he had lost possession to Kristoffer Lund, who had done well to track Goodrham's run, but the United winger won the back and laid it into the path of Harris, but he was closed down by Dimitrios Nikolaou and the chance was gone.
Palermo, backed by a noisy following in the Curva Nord, were neat and tidy in possession and their players had superb technique, but they didn't create their first chance until the 23rd minute, when Salim Diakité's cross was met on the volley by Insigne, forcing Cumming into an excellent save.
The Italian side carved out a golden opportunity to take the lead when the pace of Insigne caught United on the counter and Vasić tried to take the ball around Cumming, who stretched out a glove to divert it back to Insigne, who was closed down by Brannagan to preserve the clean sheet.
Two minutes later and Oxford created an opportunity when Harris received the ball on the right. His low cross was met by Rodrigues whose shot went inches wide of the far post.
The visitors, who had created the better chances in the first period, started the second half brightly, with two shots in the opening three minutes, although neither caused any problem for Cumming.
The game was just over the hour mark when the visitors took the lead, substitute Šarić providing the finish from a tight angle as Palermo beat Oxford's offside trap to devastating effect.
Two minutes later and it was 2-0 as Insigne's powerful shot from the edge of the area beat Cumming.
The United goalkeeper was called into action again when he had to dive to his left to keep out Claudio Gomes's low shot ten minutes from time and he made an even better save six minutes later when he got down to Matteo Luigi Brunori's driven effort.
And that was it for United's pre-season. Palermo provided something different for the squad and we wish them all the best for the forthcoming Serie B season.
UNITED: Cumming, Brown, Vaulks (McEachran 77), Moore, Płacheta (Leigh 46), Brannagan, Harris (El Mizouni 83), Bennett, Goodrham (Sibley 62), Rodrigues (O'Donkor 77), Kioso (Long 77)
Subs: Ingram, McGuane, Currie, Thorniley
Attendance: 3,539 including 320 away
Fifty/50 draw: Ticket no. 139931 wins £248.50
Report: Martin Brodetsky; Photos: JasonPix, Steve Daniels, Steve Edmunds, Darrell Fisher
