Oxford United opened their first Championship campaign this millennium with a comfortable win over Norwich City, play-off semi-finalists last season. Mark Harris opened the scoring in the first half and Cameron Brannagan made sure of the points with a trademark finish in the second period.
Des Buckingham's first starting line-up in the Championship contained just two of the 11 new players that joined the squad over the summer, with Will Vaulks sitting in front of the back four of Sam Long, Elliott Moore, Ciaron Brown and Joe Bennett, who were themselves protecting goalkeeper Jamie Cumming. Brannagan and Rúben Rodrigues were both in the number 10 position, with Tyler Goodrham and the other debutant, Przemysław Płacheta, out wide and Harris between them.
Far from it being a cagey opening that might have been expected, United almost took the lead in the second minute, when Harris was inches away from getting on the end of a Goodrham cross after the U's winger had been freed by Rodrigues.
It was the Portuguese midfielder who made the next running, driving into the Norwich area and getting in a dangerous cross as Oxford made the early moves, although they had to be alert from the first corner of the game, Moore clearing from under the crossbar.
The opening few minutes continued in a similar vein, with Oxford knocking the ball about nicely probing for openings. They were almost rewarded when former Norwich winger Płacheta, was played in by Brannagan, his shot straight at Angus Gunn before overhitting his cross to the back post.
In the 28th minute the crowd erupted as Harris gave United the lead. He received the ball on the ball on the left side of the Norwich area, held off Grant Hanley, turned to make space and squeezed his shot through Gunn to put United into dreamland. It was Sparky's spark that lit up the stadium and no one could say it was undeserved.
Four minutes later and Vaulks almost scored a brilliant goal. Harris was quick to close down Gunn, whose clearance was miscued. Vaulks spotted Gunn out of his goal and tried an audacious lob from almost 50 yards. Unfortunately the ball swung just wide of the far post. The midfielder tried his luck with another long-range shot that brought a flying save out of Gunn as Oxford weren't content to sit on their lead.
Having been knocked off their perch, the Canaries started the second half on the front foot, as you'd expect. But it was United that looked the most dangerous, none more so than when Brannagan got into a good position deep in the Norwich area but his shot cannoned off the post, with Long's follow-up header cleared off the line.
The second goal, when it arrived just before the hour, was Oxford United at their best. Brannagan's sweeping pass found Goodrham on the right. He twisted and turned and played in Rodrigues who got it back to Goodrham. He laid the ball into Long, whose cross fell perfectly into Brannagan's path and his finish was perfection. And again, no more than Oxford deserved.
Płacheta went off in the 73rd minute to a standing ovation - there's more to come from him, that's for sure - to be replaced by another player making his debut, Idris El Mizouni. Ten minutes later Greg Leigh came on for Rodrigues as Oxford's grip on the game strengthened. Oxford almost put the cherry on the cake in the final minute as Vaulks found Leigh with a long ball and his driven cross was cut out by Gunn with Harris lurking. That was the Welshman's last action as he was soon replaced by Gatlin O'Donkor.
It's always nice to start the season with a win, but it's just the first game of many. Let's see where we are after another 45.
United: Cumming, Long, Brown, Vaulks, Moore, Płacheta (El Mizouni 73), Brannagan, Harris (O'Donkor 89), Bennett, Goodrham, Rodrigues (Leigh 86)
Todays attendance: 11,333 including 1476 away
Fifty/50 draw: ticket number 141454 wins £1,287
Report: Martin Brodetsky; Photos: JasonPix, Steve Daniels, Steve Edmunds, Darrell Fisher
