Oxfordshire Senior League

Ben Turner Cup

Quarter Final

Saturday 19th February 2022

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 14.01

Oxford Irish Athletic 2 Garsington 4, attendance 22

7’ 0-1

33’ 1-1

44’ 1-2

51’ 1-3

56’ 2-3

81’ 2-4

@ The Oxford Academy, 3G Pitch

Sandy Lane West

Littlemore

Oxford

OX4 6JZ

No Admission or Programme.

I had decided early on that I wasn’t going to risk a late call off on a grass pitch this afternoon, so played safe by choosing an easy 3G option. It isn’t something that I’m too keen on for a Saturday afternoon, but this cup tie had caught my eye before I knew that they were playing the game here, as the F.A. Full Time website shows the wrong venue, but the club did tweet the correct ground and it was a ground move that had gone under the radar, as they have played quite a few games here already this season.

The match was 7th in Division 1 versus 9th in the Premier Division. Garsington went ahead early on, sliding in the opener at the far post, before seeing a header come back off the post that could have doubled their lead. Irish levelled just after the half hour mark, with Garsington missing the chance to regain the lead within a minute, seeing a penalty saved, but they did regain the lead a minute before halftime, with a cracking finish into the top corner. The visitors went 1-3 up six minutes into the second half and it looked like they were heading for a comfortable win, but a mistake by the ’keeper, trying to clear a through ball, saw the striker roll the ball into the empty net to pull it back to 2-3. Garsington finally killed the game off nine minutes from time, when a diagonal ball from the right was smashed into the roof of the net to make it 2-4.

The cage has a spectator viewing area along three quarters of one side.

Football League Youth Alliance

South West Conference

Saturday 19th February 2022

Kick Off 11.00 Actual 11.01

Oxford United U18 3 Portsmouth U18 0, attendance 23

24’ 1-0

57’ 2-0

69’ 3-0

@ The Oxford Sports Park

Oxford United Training Centre

Horspath Road

Oxford

OX4 2RR

No Admission or Programme.

It was back on 30th October 1993 that I saw Oxford United U18 last play a home match. Oddly, it was also against Portsmouth, a 3-2 win in a South East Counties Youth League Cup 2nd Round match, which was played at Brasenose College Sports Ground. Today was a chance to see them at their new training facility, which was officially opened on 18th December 2019.

Today’s match was the final league game of the season, as 5th hosted 3rd in the South West Conference table. Oxford needed a win to guarantee a top five finish, which would advance them into the Merit League, where they play against the top five teams from the South East Conference.

Three hours of heavy rain were forecast for Oxford from 11 o’clock onwards, but at least it meant the game was likely to go ahead, although not guaranteed to finish. A couple of minutes before kick off it duly arrived and it was very unpleasant trying to watch the game in near horizontal rain and a biting wind. The only plus point was that it was coming into our backs, blowing diagonally across the pitch.

Oxford led 1-0 at the break, courtesy of a left footed shot that the ’keeper was unable to keep out, despite getting two hands to it. They added two second half goals, a 20 yarder that gave the ’keeper no chance, then a brilliant 25 yarder curled into the top corner, both of which were wind assisted. They deserved the win though and if it wasn’t for a number of good saves by the Portsmouth ’keeper, the winning margin would have been far greater.