Reserves can Hackett

United's reserves scored three second half goals to easily overcome Millwall this afternoon at Court Place Farm. Oxford should have taken the lead during the first half, when a penalty was awarded to them for handball. After a wrestling match with Jefferson Louis over who should take it, Paul Powell stepped up and hit a hard low shot into the bottom corner. Millwall 'keeper Willy Gueret threw himself to his left to make a fabulous save and the scores remained level.

In the second period United stepped up the pace against their more inexperienced opponents, and they took the lead from another penalty when Ronnie Bull tripped Manny Omoyinmi who was clean through on goal. In a league game Bull would almost certainly have been shown the red card, but referee R Desmond contented himself with showing a yellow. Manny himself stepped up to easily beat Gueret, but the referee decided that United players had encroached and ordered a retake, which Manny calmly placed in exactly the same spot to put the Us one up.

Manny could also take most of the plaudits for Oxford's second goal, chasing a ball that looked destined to be going out for a goalkick he skipped along the goal line before pulling the ball back for ROS Chris Hackett to sidefoot into the top of the net from 15 yards. Hackett ensured United won the game after Dean Whitehead set him free. He ran from the halfway line until the angle of the area when he unleashed a hard drive that Gueret could only palm into the net.

Despite the margin of the victory this was not a brilliant performance from the second string under Darren Patterson for the first time. The normally assured Robert Lovegrove had one of his less solid games in front of the watching Ian Atkins, and Powelly didn't really do himself any favours, apart from his first ever penalty miss. Whitehead also had a less composed game than is normally the case, whilst possession was lost too often by players such as Manny and Jefferson. Full backs Simon King and Sam Ricketts were reasonably strong, as was David Oldfield playing in central midfield, but it was Hackett, watched closely by new Cheltenham manager Bobby Gould, who caught the eye (and not just because we sponsor him, although that couldn't have hurt).

Down again

Last night Kidderminster beat bottom team Exeter 5-2 at St James Park to leap from one place below Oxford up to fourth, leaving United now in 11th position. Tonight's games involving Boston against Wrexham and Rochdale against Bristol Rovers have both been postponed, as was last night's other scheduled fixture between Macclesfield and Orient.