Gatlin O'Donkor and Tyler Goodrham were both on target but United found a three-goal half-time disadvantage too much to claw back as they exited the Oxon Senior Cup at the quarter-final stage at Court Place Farm tonight.
In a hugely entertaining encounter, the U's gave their more experienced hosts a three-goal headstart, with Klaidi Lolos (2) and Joe Iaciofano on target. However, O'Donkor and Goodrham, both part of the senior side at Wycombe the previous night, got their side back into things, only for Aaron Williams-Bushell to ease any home nerves and give a City side who ended with ten men a 4-2 win.
It was frantic from the very start. U’s keeper Kie Plumley made two smart saves and O’Donkor and Goodrham both tested home keeper Archie Matthews as it quickly became just a question of who scored first as the game went end to end.
It was City who made the breakthrough after 20 minutes when Lolos laughed out loudos to rifle the ball into the roof of the net from close range and make it 1-0.
Both sides were then forced into changes; centre-back Stephan Negru, captain on his first public appearance, hobbled off with an ankle injury after an early challenge, and home keeper Matthews was replaced by Ben Dudzinski soon after.
Chances continued to come along and on 35 it was 2-0 when Iaciofano tucked a loose ball past the helpless Plumley from a yard out after a corner had bobbled around the six-yard box. Then with the last kick of the first half, Lolos got across his man at the near post to tuck home his second and the U’s were 3-0 down at the break.
They responded immediately when O’Donkor got them back into the game within four minutes of the restart, storming away down the left and coolly slotting past Dudzinski to make it 3-1. Amazingly, on 52 it was 3-2 when Goodrham ran at the defence and cracked home from 25 yards to make it game on.
For only a few minutes, it sadly turned out.
Then Williams-Bushell thumped past Plumley once more and City were 4-2 ahead and heading for the semi-final.
Full-back Jack Davies added to the excitement with a scything challenge on O'Donkor which earned him a second yellow card and an early bath. O'Donkor was denied by an excellent save at a time when it would have led to a frantic finale, but slowly City took the sting out of the game and a tiring United were finally beaten.
A fine game of football, competitive without being spiteful, and plenty of spirit in the second half to add to the lessons from the first 45 minutes.
UNITED
Plumley, Franklin, Mfuni (Brenan 80), Negru (Zabeli 24), Sade (Took-Oxley 60), Johnson, Tiamuna, Goodrham, Elliott-Wheeler, Owens, O’Donkor
Subs
Marriott, Burton
Att: 237
Report by Chris Williams, pictures Steve Edmunds