Under 18s End Season Against Portsmouth

Young U's aiming for third placed finish

18 February 2022

Oxford United under 18s look to end the season on a high as they welcome Portsmouth to the Bangkok Glass Training Centre on Saturday morning (11am)

Saturday sees the last round of the Alliance League this season with the top five clubs going on to play in a Merit League against the top five clubs in the South East Division.

After losing only 1 of their last 5 games United have finished the season in fine form, beating leaders Bournemouth last weekend in a close game and playing some creative football into the bargain.

A win could see them end the season in third place while moving above visitors Portsmouth in the final table.

“It’s important to try and finish on a high if we can” Coach Pablo Heysham told us. “We will hopefully go in to the Merit League and face some strong teams so you want to go into that with a bit of confidence.

“We made a decision to get a lot of our second years out on loan and gaining experience in men’s football so since the turn of the year it has been a very young group of first years and under 16s, and they have stepped up quickly and done really well. It’s always a good game against Portsmouth and one we are looking forward to.”

Match Reports

REPORT Oxford United U18 3 Portsmouth U18 0

Young U's go into Merit League

21 February 2022

Oxford United’s Under 18s ended their Youth Alliance League season with a 3-0 win over Portsmouth on Saturday.

Goals from Gatlin O’Donkor, Josh Anifowose and George Franklin ensured that the U’s finished in the top fiv in the South West Division and they now go in to Merit League 1, starting with a game away at AFC Wimbledon on Saturday.

After a slow start on Saturday O’Donkor was played through on goal and fired low to the keeper’s left to give United the lead. United had further chances in the first half although Portsmouth grew into the game after the break and keeper Fraser Barnsley was called into action with an excellent save before a bullet shot from the edge of the box from Anifowose found the top left corner.

Soon after Franklin bent stunning effort into the top corner to make it 3-0 and end the season in spectacular style.

Merit League 1 will see the U’s playing AFC Bournemouth, AFC Wimbledon, Cambridge United, Exeter City, Plymouth Argyle, Portsmouth, Stevenage and one of either Gillingham, Southend United or Sutton United.

Line-ups:
Barnsley, Franklin, Zabeli, Golding, Sankoh, Johnson, Anifowose, Tiamuna (Took-Oxley), Coe, O’Donkor, Davis-Stephenson (Elliot-Wheeler)

Match Reports