Oxford United U18s made it five games unbeaten as they put on a dominant display against Forest Green Rovers in the Youth Alliance League Cup on Saturday.
The Young U’s opened the scoring early on for the second game in a row through Leo Snowden, before Snowden went on to double that lead just 11 minutes in. Mubarak Abolade continued the dominance, making it 3-0, however the U’s couldn’t hold on to the clean sheet, with Forest Green getting one back on the brink of half time. The three-goal lead was restored early on in the second half and the U’s were able to pick up a convincing win.
It took just four minutes for Snowden to get his name on the scoresheet with another set piece goal for the Yellows. Harrison Bradney found Snowden at the back post and he was able to bundle it over the line. Snowden continued his goal-scoring form, making it five in his last three games for the U18s as he finished off a beautiful team goal, with Bradney playing him through and Snowden curling it past the keeper to send the U’s 2-0 up.
The U’s dominance didn’t stop there, as they continued to heap on the pressure for the visitors, with the Forest Green keeper being forced into a couple of decent saves. The constant pressure led to the third, with Snowden splitting the defence and sending the trialist through; he had the awareness to give Abolade a tap-in and make it 3-0, 34 minutes in.
Unfortunately for the U’s, they lost that three-goal lead and a potential clean sheet on the brink of half time, as the visitors were able to get one back and ruin a perfect first half for United.
It didn’t take long into the second half for Abolade to get his second and restore the three-goal lead. A good ball over the top from Josh Holton gave Abolade the space he needed to open up and get his shot away, taking a deflection and finding the back of the net.
This was an important three points for the U’s, putting them third in the Cup group, before heading into the final group stage game against Walsall.
The U18s will be making the long trip to Plymouth this weekend as they look to continue their unbeaten run.
UNITED: Trialist, Cramond, Mole, Bangurah (Gardner 65), Lacey, Bradney, Abolade (Lee 74), Holton (Doyle 65), Trialist, Griffiths, Snowden
Unused subs: Jackson and Palmer-Flynn
