Oxford united FC
Oxford United beat Barnet in second friendly of pre-season
The U’s took an early lead through Stan Mills before Adam Senior equalised in the second half.
Aaron Ramsey’s men managed to find a late winner after a well-battled contest, Gatlin O’Donkor slotting home to secure victory for United.
The U’s came flying out of the blocks and very quickly opened the scoring.
Some effective one-touch play saw Will Vaulks find Mark Harris on the halfway line, the striker flicking it in behind to Mills who darted towards goal and slotted the ball calmly past Taye Ashby-Hammond.
Barnet tried to respond with a blocked effort before Harris saw a shot of his own saved from the edge of the penalty area.
A half typified by momentum, Oxford found their own period of promise as the Bees retreated, Harris getting into some good areas but unable to be found.
Ramsey’s men survived a penalty scare almost half an hour in when Vaulks went in late on a home attacker only for the referee to wave it away.
Barnet then began to find their feet, Simon Eastwood impressively saving a shot from Oisin Gallagher before Brodie Spencer made two brilliant last-ditch tackles to keep the opposition at bay.
Again, Spencer put in a good challenge in the box before Eastwood made a double save to prevent a Barnet equaliser.
Two Idris Kanu long shots flew over the crossbar for the hosts before Mills almost capitalised on a scare from the keeper, Ashby-Hammond just about recovering after misjudging a bouncing long ball from Eastwood.
Senior spurned a big chance for the Bees at the back post which kept the scores level at the break.
A cagey start to the second period led to the Barnet equaliser.
With space to run into on the left, Gallagher got to the by-line and found Senior in the box who swept the ball into the roof of the Yellows’ net.
The defender put another effort over the bar shortly after his goal before United tried to hit back through a saved Aidomo Emakhu shot.
After a good run in behind, a big chance fell to young Leo Snowden who was one-on-one with the keeper, Ashby-Hammond diving to save the winger’s effort on goal.
Jack Maskell sent a striker over the bar for the hosts before O’Donkor bagged his second in as many games, latching onto Ruben Roosken’s square ball to secure the win.
One more chance came for the hosts which Eastwood spectacularly stopped, saving a close-range strike from Kabongo Tshimanga.
Barnet: Ashby-Hammond, Collinge, Tavares, Kenlock, Senior, Ofoborh, Gallagher, Kanu, Noel Williams, Lakin, Tshimanga
Oxford: Eastwood, Spencer (Kioso 61), Golding (Helik 61), Brown (Long 61), Currie (Leigh 61), Vaulks (Brannagan 61), Bradney (McDonnell 61), Mills (Emakhu 45), Goodrham (Sibley 61), Snowden (Roosken 61), Harris (O’Donkor 61)
The 35-year-old was appointed into his first head coach role in June, taking over at United from Matt Bloomfield after retiring from professional football in April.
Ramsey has enjoyed a successful start to his tenure in OX4 so far, securing four wins from four pre-season fixtures, including a 2-0 victory over Premier League side Ipswich Town.
The former Gunners midfielder has also had to manage the squad amidst a temporary transfer ban which sees Oxford unable to register any new player until they prove compliance with the EFL’s Squad Cost Management Protocol (SCMP) regulations.
The ex-Wales international played under some world-renowned managers during his successful playing career in the likes of Wenger, Aston Villa boss Unai Emery and former Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri.
“Arsene was a huge part of the success that I had as a player,” the Yellows head coach detailed after the pre-season win over Ipswich.
“And obviously, I took so much from him as well, from the manager side of things.
“But I’ve been very lucky and blessed to have played for some really good managers over the years, which I’ve taken little bits from as well.
“So, yes, I wouldn’t just say it’s all him, but definitely he’s formed part of that.”
Similarly to Wenger, Ramsey possesses a calm demeanour on the touchline, more often than not on the edge of his technical area with the occasional instruction directed at a player or the team as a whole.
READ MORE: Will Vaulks leaves Oxford United to join Tranmere Rovers
READ MORE: Aaron Ramsey emphasises importance of Oxford United’s Stan Mills
He is visibly calm and contemplative, something which he himself acknowledges.
“I think that’s me as a player, though. I’ve always been quite calm and comfortable in situations. So for me, that’s the way that I am.
“And I want my players to feel that and to feel like they can go out there and express themselves.
“So, yes, when they play like that [against Ipswich], it does make it a lot easier for me on the side lines.
“I think we need to be confident in what we’re trying to do for us to be able to really showcase exactly what we can do.
“It’s that confidence which is important without stepping over the line, but we need to embrace that.”
The U’s begin their campaign this Saturday with a Carabao Cup clash with League One rivals Leyton Orient.
Ramsey will be hoping his side can take the confidence and impressive performances from pre-season into the competitive campaign.
League action begins a week later, with the Yellows hosting newly-promoted MK Dons at the Kassam on the opening day.
The U’s return to the third tier after a two-year stay in the Championship, suffering relegation last term with a 22nd-placed finish under Matt Bloomfield.
The club revealed their new home strip last month and have worn it twice during pre-season when they beat Crawley Town 3-1 and Ipswich Town 2-0 at the Kassam Stadium.
Oxford’s away kit was released with a video on social media titled ‘Performance Inspires’, the shirt being inspired by Oxford’s performing arts, with a ballet performance filmed at Oxford New Theatre.
The video is soundtracked by a reimagined take on Oxford band Foals’ song ‘What Went Down’.
The shirt is available to buy online and in-store.
The 32-year-old midfielder joined United in 2024 and played 88 games for the club, scoring two goals.
His last goal for the club came in the final home game of last season, a 4-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday.
On 14 January 2025, he scored his first goal for the club in a 1–1 league draw away against Plymouth Argyle.
He will now join Tranmere who are in League Two.
The Wales international did not make any senior appearances for Tranmere in his first spell but has signed a two-year deal with the club.
The U’s are in the midst of a temporary transfer embargo and will not currently be able to replace the midfielder.
As well as his contributions on the pitch, Vaulks was also a pioneer in the Oxfordshire community, using his personal story to establish the award-winning Can We Talk? suicide prevention campaign.
READ MORE: Jack Currie hails Oxford United versatility under Aaron Ramsey
READ MORE: Aaron Ramsey emphasises importance of Oxford United’s Stan Mills
He introduced a suicide prevention check-in app for staff, delivered training to employees and supporters, and led workshops across the county, including at RAF Brize Norton.
He was nationally and internationally recognised for his campaigning, winning awards including the FIFPRO Player Voice and was recently named PFA Community Player of the Year.
Vaulks made seven appearances for Wales, his most recent coming in a 1-1 draw with Czechia in 2022.
Oxford United begin their League One campaign next week with a home clash against MK Dons after suffering relegation from the second tier last season.
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