Graham, Jeacock and Humphries on the mark as under-18s win away
Oxford United's under-18s travelled to Portsmouth on Saturday and came away 4-2 winners thanks to a Jordan Graham brace and goals from George Jeacock and Seth Humphries.Coach Leon Blackmore-Such told us:
"Oxford started brightly with lots of possession, while Portsmouth dropped deep, which was unexpected. We were very patient in our build-up play and showed a lot of quality on the ball, with good distribution throughout. George Jeacock and Malachi Napa's movement was causing problems for Pompey.
"We took the lead through good play around the box from Seth Humphries, who ran in and finished with a left-foot shot. Five minutes later we won a corner that Jordan Graham took and which went straight in to make it 2-0, which was how the first half ended.
"At half-time we fine tuned a few things because towards the end of the first period we'd slowed down a bit and we wanted to get the tempo back up. To be fair to the lads they listened and started the second half well, but after ten minutes Portsmouth pulled a goal back from a cross that was fired in from close range.
"For the next five or so minutes Pompey exerted pressure on us. They had a goal disallowed and after that we took back control of the game.
"Malachi Napa, who was our best player through his work rate and desire, won us another set piece from which George Jeacock scored with a towering header. Five minutes afterwards Jordan read a backpass, got to the ball first and rounded the keeper to make it 4-1.
"We were in control of the game but we then gave the ball away and Portsmouth scored a consolation goal from a cross, which was a bit disappointing. But overall the boys had played well and deserved the victory."
United: Agboola, Welch-Hayes, Carroll, McCormack, Hawtin (Diaz-Benitez 81), Hastings, Humphries (Baptiste 60), Hayden, Graham, Napa, Jeacock (Deacon 75)