Oxford United beat Premier League new boys Southampton 2-0 at the Kassam Stadium this evening, thanks to first-half goals from Mark Harris and Ruben Rodrigues.
United, resplendent in their new yellow shirts, navy shorts and yellow socks, opted to kick towards the East Stand in the first half, with the low setting sun at their backs.
The back line appears to be the most likely to start the season in 10 days, with Peter Kioso, Elliott Moore, Ciaron Brown and Joe Bennett lining up in front of Jamie Cumming and Will Vaulks sitting deep in front of the defence. Ruben Rodrigues and Cameron Brannagan were the two number tens, while Tyler Goodrham and a trialist provided the width either side of front man Mark Harris.
Cumming was the first keeper to experience meaningful action in the seventh minute as he came out of his area to head clear. The ball landed at the feet of Sam Amo-Ameyaw but his attempt to find the empty net floundered as Cumming blocked the shot some 20 yards from goal.
United's first half chance came a couple of minutes later as the trialist picked up the ball in the Southampton half and cut inside, but his shot lacked conviction and drifted wide.
Southampton, freshly promoted to the Premier League via last season's Championship play-offs, showed their class with some neat passing moves, but it was Oxford's more direct approach that looked more like paying dividends. One sweeping crossfield pass from Brannagan found Goodrham in the area and he combined with Harris to win the game's first corner in the 13th minute.
Cumming made another important intervention in the 20th minute, when the Saints attacked down United's left. They worked the ball cleverly to the byline and the low cross was diverted goalwards by Sekou Mara, forcing United's keeper to save with his feet. Mara was doubly unlucky as he was forced to hobble from the field.
This was the signal for the visitors to increase the tempo and they started to look more threatening, but it was still the U's that carved open the next chance, with Oxford's press winning the ball and Vaulks receiving it on the edge of the area but slipping as he got his shot away.
It was the press that created the next chance after 34 minutes, as Harris robbed the defender and the ball fell nicely for the trialist, whose first-time shot was touched wide by Alex McCarthy. Less than a minute later, Oxford took the lead as Rodrigues crossed from the right and made it's way to Harris at the back post for a simple finish.
Goodrham almost made it two as he intercepted an underhit pass from McCarthy to Charlie Taylor, but his first-time shot crept inches wide. Never mind, as less than a minute later Southampton again gave the ball away at the back and this time Rodrigues was in the perfect place to steer the ball home from 18 yards to make it 2-0.
If there were thoughts that Southampton might come at United in the second half to try and overturn the deficit, this didn't happen until around the hour mark, when the visitors replaced their whole outfield ten. Adam Armstrong shot inches wide and then Sam Edozie found the side netting, but otherwise they got little change from Oxford's disciplined defence.
The pace of the game was noticeably slower in the second period, hardly surprisingly, and at times the game resembled walking football. The visitors dominated possession and made more half chances that they rarely looked like converting. It was generally Armstrong who was the danger man, but it was at arm's length that United kept him.
It was the pace of Gatlin O'Donkor that was Oxford's main threat in the second half and it took a wild challenge by Will Smallbone to stop his forward charge with five minutes remaining. If this had been a more meaningful fixture it would have seen referee Gavin Ward produce a card.
The final minute was enlivened by James Golding, who charged forward from his own penalty area and was mere metres away from the Southampton area when he was brought to a crashing halt. He should arguably have slipped the ball right to O'Donkor a few seconds earlier, but that would have robbed the crowd of the best moment of the half.
A win against Premier League opposition is never to be sniffed at, but at the end of the day this was a pre-season game played in stifling conditions. Most useful for minutes on the pitch, work on shape and partnerships, and a chance for Des Buckingham to consider options.
One more game left before the real action starts: come and watch the U's take on Palermo on Saturday (3pm) as the squad is further fine-tuned.
UNITED: Cumming, Brown, Vaulks, Moore, Brannagan, Harris, Bennett, Goodrham, Rodrigues, Trialist, Kioso
Second half subs: Long (46), McEachran (46), Sibley (61), El Mizouni (61), McGuane (61), Leigh (61), Goodwin (61), Thorniley (61), Golding (61), O'Donkor (61)
Attendance: 5,273 including 1,473 away
Fifty/50 winning ticket: 131971 wins £347
Report: Martin Brodetsky; Photos: Jasonpix, Steve Daniels, Steve Edmunds, Darrell Fisher
