Oxford United under 18s picked up their best result of the season with a superb 2-1 win at Burnley this afternoon to send them through to the semi-final of the Professional Development League Cup
Having gone undefeated in the group stages, the U’s were up against it against a Burnley side who had won all three of their group games.
However, they went ahead after 16 minutes through an excellent team move that went from one end of the pitch to the other before Aidan Elliott-Wheeler drove at the defence and found Harrison Bradney; he beat three men on the edge of the box to tuck the ball calmly away and make it 1-0.
Keeper Monty Marriott then made sure they maintained that advantage, diving to his left to save a Lucas Wane penalty. But Marriott was helpless after 69 minutes when sub Benji Wetshi made it 1-1 from close range at the second attempt, after the ball had ricocheted around the area.
Six minutes later United won the game when Elliott-Wheeler met a cutback from the byline to beat Burnley keeper Jon Vilar Robinson and send the U’s through to a semi-final.
“The boys should be very proud of themselves,” Coach Pablo Haysham told us. “Away from home, against a big club like Burnley, they fought for everything and scored two really good goals.
"To do it with two under 16s in the side is a wonderful achievement and we will enjoy the moment and then start looking ahead to the semi-final now.”
United join Millwall, Watford and either Sheffield United or Swansea in the semi final.
United
Marriott, Mole, Lacey, Bradney, Smith, Took-Oxley, Burton, Holton, Snowden, Elliott-Wheeler, McIntyre
Subs: Maxwell, Patel, Travin, Iheanacho, Cooper