Pre-Season Friendly
Saturday 1 August 2026
Kassam Stadium, Oxford
Oxford United… 2
(Currie 60’, Mills 72’)
Ipswich Town… 0
Oxford United put in their most impressive display of pre-season to earn a 2-0 win over Premier League side Ipswich Town.
Second-half goals from Jack Currie and Stan Mills rounded off pre-season in fantastic style, with a performance to be excited about heading into the start of the competitive campaign next weekend.
With just one week until competitive football begins, it was important for Aaron Ramsey and his team that today’s test would be the toughest of the pre-season schedule.
Now a Premier League side after earning promotion from the Championship last season, Ipswich Town arrived at the Kassam still early in their pre-season preparations but with plenty of quality to test United.
It proved to be exactly the challenge required in what was a high-quality pre-season friendly, with Oxford producing their most exciting display of the four friendly fixtures.
Pressing high from the first minute, the Yellows tested the visitors straight from the off and could have taken the lead after five minutes when Jamie McDonnell skewed a first-time effort wide from 16 yards.
Splitting their squad across two fixtures on Saturday, with another side facing Wycombe Wanderers at 4:00pm, Ipswich’s line-up was slightly disjointed. However, they still possessed plenty of quality, with Jack Clarke the first to test Jamie Cumming after 16 minutes, although the Oxford goalkeeper made a comfortable save.
On 20 minutes, the best chance of the half fell to Mark Harris, who fired Stan Mills’ cutback towards goal with a fierce strike, only for Van Oevelen to make an excellent save.
Ramsey has repeatedly spoken about wanting a team full of intent and intensity, and much of that was on show at the Kassam. While clear-cut chances were limited, United regularly worked themselves into dangerous areas and, with a better final ball, could have created even more goalscoring opportunities.
At half-time, United had earned pass marks for an impressive opening 45 minutes, but that was almost undone just 15 seconds into the second half. A wicked cross from the left cannoned off Sam Long’s outstretched leg before bouncing off the underside of the crossbar.
Two minutes later, Kasey McAteer sent a shot just wide of Jamie Cumming’s left-hand post as the visitors applied some early pressure after the restart.
From that moment on, however, it was all United. The home side put their foot to the floor and began to pepper the Ipswich goal. Both Tyler Goodrham and Mark Harris had excellent opportunities to break the deadlock before the hour mark, with the Welsh striker coming closest as his solo effort was well saved by the goalkeeper’s legs.
The breakthrough arrived on the hour mark and came from another fine team move. Brodie Spencer released Goodrham down the right wing and, as he drove towards goal, the winger showed great vision to pick out Currie just a few yards out, allowing the left-back to tap home his first Oxford United goal.
Ramsey’s side had pressed the Ipswich defence and goalkeepers relentlessly all afternoon, and on 72 minutes that pressure paid off. Stan Mills closed down the substitute goalkeeper, won the ball back cleanly, and from a tight angle curled his finish into the empty net to give United a deserved two-goal cushion.
The chances continued to come, with Gatlin O’Donkor testing the goalkeeper on 88 minutes before Peter Kioso flashed an effort just wide of the post with almost the final kick of the game.
It was a fantastic way to round off pre-season. Next up for United is the Carabao Cup clash against Leyton Orient next Saturday.
Oxford United: Cumming, Long (Golding 77’), Brown (Helik 77’), Brannagan (Sibley 73’), Harris (O’Donkor 73’), Emakhu (Dembele 66’), Goodrham (Snowden 77’), Spencer (Kioso 73’), Mills (Elliott-Wheeler 73’), McDonnell (Brandey 73’), Currie (Leigh 77’)
Subs: Eastwood, Missanga
Ipswich Town: Van Oevelen, Kipre, Burns, Walle Egeli, Johnson, McAteer, Ogbene, Akpom, Compton, Mthunzi, Clarke
Subs: Button, Runham, Barbrook, Fletcher
Attendance: 3,029 (759 away)