Bristol Rovers U18s were beaten 3-1 by Oxford United in a tensely fought battle on Saturday morning.
Despite having a limited share of the game’s chances, Oxford’s ruthlessness in front of goal proved to be the difference between the two sides, with the Gas punished for some poor decision-making in both boxes.
Without causing Rovers too many issues, goals from Jack Lee and Mo Missanga put Oxford in the driving seat with only 30 minutes to play.
While skipper Charlie Moody looked to have brought Rovers back into the game with a well-timed header, a speedy Oxford counter-attack, finished by Leo Snowden, ensured that the visitors would be heading back home down the M4 with three points.
Following a 4-3 defeat in the second round of the FA Youth Cup to Hertford Town on Tuesday, Rovers were looking to bounce back with a positive performance against sixth-placed Oxford in the league. In a bid to shore up the defence, Rovers 18s lead coach Bobby-Mckenzie Black opted for a back five, with Trey Cadette and Tom English providing the width, while Wil Turner partnered Taelan Savage at the top of the pitch.
An audacious Turner lob nearly had Oxford goalkeeper Ajae Patel scrambling after only three minutes. Another opportunity presented itself early on for the home side when a sumptuous Deji Odumboni through ball with the outside of his boot found Cadette. After some misfortune, the ball fell to the feet of Kian Hill, who bent one over the far post from 20 yards out.
Clear goalscoring chances, however, were few and far between for both sides. This was until the 24th minute, when Oxford right-winger Kasway Burton was allowed to cut in, skipping past the challenges of Cadette and Odumboni, before hooking the ball towards goal with his weaker foot. While his initial shot was blocked, the ball fell back to Burton, who, this time, went down the outside and squared across the face of the goal. Lee couldn’t miss from close range.
Shortly after half-time, Oxford went two ahead as second-half substitute Missanga scuffed a strike beyond the outstretched hands of Matijs Korswagen. Despite not being overly dominant, the visitors had established a healthy lead, and Oxford No.11 Mubarak Abolade looked poised to add a third soon after, firing a snapshot across the goal and narrowly wide.
Set-pieces appeared to be one of Rovers’ most dangerous weapons that morning, and so it proved. A Turner corner met the rising head of an unmarked Moody, who powered home past Patel just past the hour mark, altering the complexion of the whole game. The Gas began to develop an urgency that had been missing for much of the game, and Oxford now found themselves under the cosh.
Had Rovers been a bit braver in their attacking at the back post, an equaliser might have been within reach. Turner, who ran the channels well all game, along with Hill, will consider themselves particularly unlucky not to have seen their cutbacks converted.
Despite a significant wave of pressure, with the Oxford backline scrambling to cope with a number of deliveries into the box, the visitors struck against the run of play in the 83rd minute to grab their third - and with it, the three points.
The previously wasteful Abolade led a swift counter and showed better composure here to ride the challenge of Max Edwards before playing in substitute Snowden, who, bearing down on goal, cut inside onto his right foot before rounding Korswagen and calmly passing home into an empty net.
Bristol Rovers: Korswagen, English, Sutherland, Moody ©, Edwards, Sughayer, Cadette, Odumboni, Savage, Hill, Turner.
Substitutes: Bishop, Moggeridge, Iwhiwu, Horgan.
Oxford United: Patel, Mole, Cramond, Bangurah, Lacey, Doyle, Burton, Palmer-Flynn, Lee, Griffiths, Abolade.
Substitutes: Griffith, Blackmore, Holton, Missanga, Snowden
