Oxford United's young U23's side went down 2-1 in a closely contested affair against Championship side Hull City.
Playing in only their second ever Premier League Cup game, Oxford started the brighter of the two sides with U18s wide man Kyran Lofthouse seeing plenty of the ball in the opening exchanges. Lofthouse came closest to opening the scoring 14 minutes into the game when his side foot effort from six yards out came back off the base of the Hull City post.
An Oxford back four of Cameron Norman, Sam Long, Charlie Raglan and Matt Taylor were rarely troubled with Hull City not registering a shot on goal until the 31st minute.
Oxford continued to threaten with Harvey Bradbury leading the line but it was the home side who took the lead late in the first half when Oxford failed to deal with a corner at the back post allowing a free header into the corner of the net.
Chris Allen's young side, that included three U18s players in the matchday 16, started the brighter of the two sides and should have equalised two minutes into the second half when Albie Hopkins, playing in the number 10, role failed to find a finish after good work from the Oxford midfield.
It wasn't long before the U's did find the equaliser when Harvey Bradbury, fresh from his recent first team debut, rose well to plant a firm header past the Hull goalkeeper from a well-struck Hopkins corner.
17-year-old Owen James replaced winger Rev James midway through the 2nd half but it was City who went in front again when a long ball down the Oxford left saw the ball ricochet into the path of the Hull player who drilled it past Stevens for the Tiger's 2nd of the night.
Oxford continued to press hard but a series of bookings for both sides in an increasingly fractious game meant there was little flow to the game as the second half wore on.
Captain Sam Long blasted narrowly over bar from another corner, Bradbury continued to unsettle the Hull back line but, with time running down, United couldn't find the equaliser that their efforts deserved.
A long trip back down the motorway after a frustrating night but lessons learnt and attention now turns towards the u23s next Premier League tie in two weeks time against Wolverhampton Wanderers to be played at Thame United.
United
Stevens, Norman, Long, Raglan, Taylor, Hopkins, Hanson, McCreadie, Lofthouse, Bradbury, R James (O James).