Pre-Season Friendly
Tuesday 28 July 2026
Kassam Stadium, Oxford
Oxford United… 3
(O.G Baker 11’, O’Donkor 70, Goodrham 88’’)
Crawley Town… 1
(Ebiowei 31’)
Oxford United made it three wins out of three in pre-season with a 3-1 victory over League Two Crawley Town.
Gatlin O’Donkor was the match-winner once again, scoring for the third pre-season game in a row to earn another win under Aaron Ramsey, with Tyler Goodrham rounding off the goals.
Oxford got off to a fast start, with Greg Leigh seeing a header cleared off the line after 70 seconds from Cameron Brannagan’s in-swinging corner.
On the 11th minute United did take the lead and Leigh was involved again. Leo Snowden played in a dangerous cross, keeping a cleared corner alive, and with Leigh was on hand to poke the ball towards goal but it took a wicked deflection off Crawley’s Charlie Barker and into the net.
The League Two side did start to get their foot into the game and had a big chance on the 21st minute when Stephen Duke-McKenna fired over from 18 yards.
They did find an equaliser 10 minutes later through a familiar face. Malcolm Ebiowei, a former loan player at the Club in 2024, blasted a free-kick from the edge of the box into the top left corner and to draw the scores level.
United had plenty of half chances and in Stan Mills they were getting behind the Crawley defence time after time. On the left, Ruben Roosken broke through just before half-time but unfortunately came out on the wrong end of an unfortunate challenge by the visiting defender and was stretchered off in replace of Siriki Dembele.
Into the second period and United made a couple of changes to ensure the squad’s minutes are shared during this pre-season period. Aidomo Emakhu was one to come on at half-time and he did force Vito Mannone into a good low save inside the first 10 minutes, as did James Golding with a swivelling shot in the box.
Crawley then went close on the 59th minute with Gianmarco Di Biase turning an effort narrowly over the bar from the penalty spot.
It should have been 2-1 to United on 65 minutes. Louie Sibley done well to win the ball high up the pitch and power his way through on goal but when met with the one-on-one the goalkeeper got the better and produced a smart save.
It would end up 2-1 and once again, it was that man Gatlin O’Donkor. With his third goal in pre-season, scoring in each game, the striker managed to slide into meet a low ball from the left and continue his fine form.
Seven changes were made directly after the goal and the big chances continued to come for United. First, Tyler Goodrham curled an effort just wide of the post and then Emakhu had a shot from close range saved after a brilliant move.
Goodrham did make it 3-1 win two minutes to play, ending a lovely move with a stunning nutmeg and poked finish inside the box – a standard beauty from the midfielder.
It could have been four in the last minute, with Mark Harris hitting the post with a sliding effort just a few yards out.
Another promising performance and result and one last warm-up on Saturday at home to Ipswich Town.
Oxford United: Cumming, Kioso (Long 72’), Helik (Spencer 72’), Golding (Brown 72’), Leigh (Currie 72’), Sibley (McDonnell 72’), Brannagan (Bradney 46’), Snowden (Goodrham 72’), Roosken (Dembele 42’ (Elliott-Wheeler 78’)), Mills (Emakhu 46’), O’Donkor (Harris 72’)
Subs: Eastwood
Crawley Town: Mannone, Gordan, Barker, Farquharson, Watson, Duke-McKenna, Di Biase, Arthurs, Adeyamo, Krasniqi, Ebiowei
Subs: Izquierdo, Arganese-McDermott, Ebiowei, Orsi, Aderoju, Russell, Cashman, Ferizaj, Odimayo, Mrisho, Robertson, Pereira
Attendance: 1,862 (142 away)