Oxford United vs MK Dons on 14 Mar 23 - Match Centre

Oxford United Women welcome MK Dons to Court Place Farm this evening (7:45PM) in the FAWNL Southern Premier Division.

Tickets are available on the gate and are priced at £6 for Adults, £3 for over 65s and FREE for under 18s.

It’s also the club’s dedicated Her Game Too fixture, and there will be lots going on to show our support for this important cause.

The U’s have been in excellent form, winning three games on the bounce in the league and scoring 13 times, most recently beating Crawley Wasps thanks to hat-tricks from Carly Johns and Daisy McLachlan.

MK Dons have also won three in a row in the league and now sit 6^th in the division. The Dons made Oxford work hard for all three points in the reverse fixture in November, only a late Carly Johns penalty earning United the win.

Manager Liam Gilbert told us:

“They made it extremely difficult for us at their place, and it took real grit and some calm heads to earn all three points.

“We know that they’ll make it tough again and we’ll have to be ready for a battle in pretty much every moment of every game from now on.

“The last few performances have made us really proud as coaching staff so we need to be at that level and higher to match those standards and stay at the top. I can’t wait for these next seven games."

The U's will be without Lauren Haynes who is to leave the club. She told us:

“It has been an agonising decision. I have been at Oxford for seven years and obviously we are a close group and have been doing so well. But I was offered the chance to turn professional with a club in Ireland. I went out to talk to them, loved what they are building and it’s a chance to play football for a living at a really ambitious club.

“I’ll be so sad to go and I am going to miss everyone, but I know the club is moving forward and is so supportive of everything that the Women’s team represents. I want to thank all the coaches, staff and players and thank them for their support. I can’t wait to get started but I’ll be watching closely and know they will finish what we started and win promotion.”

There will also be full commentary of the game tonight available on BBC Radio Oxford.

Oxford United Women returned to the top of the FAWNL Southern Premier Division with a 4-1 victory over MK Dons this evening.

Carly Johns scored twice before half time to put the U's in the driver's seat, before Taome Oliver and Tash Stephens scored quickly in the second half to earn United a convincing victory, but Mollie Coupar scored in added time for the visitors to write off the U's' clean sheet.

Riva Casley, and many inside Court Place Farm, thought she had given Oxford the lead in the fourth minute, volleying Naomi Cole’s in-swinging free kick towards the bottom right corner. Fans were celebrating, but were cut short when Chloe Sansom emerged through the bodies with the ball clasped tightly to her chest.

carly goal 1 - mk dons.png

Early tensions were eased for those in yellow thanks to Johns’ 18^th of the season. Jenna Legg, who has been phenomenal since her arrival, scooped the ball through to Johns, who cut inside and curled the ball over Sansom from the edge of the box to give United the early advantage.

MK gave United a wake up call in the 23^rd minute when Rose Kite was forced into a strong save at the rapid feet of Zoe Barrett, followed up by a really important Casley block from the rebound.

United certainly woke up, going straight down the other end and doubling their lead. Who else but Johns was given an inch of space in the box – an inch too much - as she span and fired the ball across Sansom who got a touch on it but not enough to stop it bouncing in off the post. Two for Johns and two for United.

The second goal hurt the visitors and the U’s started to control the tempo of the game, Legg and Oliver popping up all over the pitch to create space and options.

Johns nearly had a first half hat-trick twice, once fed by Tash Stephens but firing over, another flashed across the face of goal after some intricate stepovers and United went into the break two goals to the good.

This United side don't rest on their laurels, and put the game beyond the Dons quickly after the restart. This time, Johns turned provider, slicing the red defence open and playing Oliver through on goal. The midfielder made no mistake and fired past Sansom in the 53rd minute for her first goal of the season to make it 3-0.

tae goal - mk dons.png

United made a very good MK Dons side look average. adding their fourth of the evening in the 61st minute. Stephens popped up at the back post to latch on to Johns' driven cross, and confidently finished past Sansom for four.

It wasn't just in front of goal where United excelled, Casley and Amy Goddard were superb at the centre of defence all evening, giving the visitors very little to work with. Coupar, the League's second top scorer, did get a consolation goal for the visitors, her strike looping over Kite with seconds remaining.

15 goals in the last three games and a really good performance, one that sends United top of the Southern Premier Division heading into a huge game against Watford away from home this Sunday. See you there.

ATTENDANCE: 343

United: Kite, Stevens, Casley, Goddard, Provan (Gotch 82), Cole (King 82), Oliver (Burridge 68), Legg, McLachlan, Johns (Swaby 75), Stephens

Report by Billy Lawrence, pictures Darrell Fisher

Oxford United

Women Host MK Dons Tonight

Women Defeat Dons To Go Top