Reserves lose

United reserves led twice at Brentford, but ended up going down 3-2 after conceding two penalties. Jefferson Louis put Oxford ahead after 26 minutes, and the Us maintained their lead until half time. After 57 minutes a Dean Whitehead foul led to the first Brentford penalty, despatched by Stephen Evans. Eight minutes later Carlin Itonga released Manny Omoyinmi who restored United's lead. After 70 minutes it was ROS Chris Hackett who was adjudged to have committed a foul inside the area and Evans again equalised from the spot kick. Mark Williams scored the winner after 77 minutes, his attempted cross sailing over Ian McCaldon's head and into the goal.

Tonight's action

In the bottom of the division three clash a Simon Weatherstone goal gave Boston a 1-0 win over Swansea at York Street. This lifts the Pilgrims off the bottom of the table for the first time this season. Swansea, appropriately enough, replace them.

Reserves tonight

United's reserves travel to Brentford tonight. All five players who were on the bench at Orient last night will start, as will Carlin Itonga who will form a three-man front line alongside Manny Omoyinmi and Jefferson Louis. United will be giving a trial to former Northampton midfielder Roy Hunter who could be in line for a short-term contract should he impress.

Charlton tickets

Ticket prices for United's Worthington Cup game at Charlton have been determined by an independent pricing panel because Oxford wanted them to be £15 to maximise income, whilst Charlton wanted them to be a tenner. Tickets will actually cost £12 for adults and £6 for oldies and just a quid for kiddywinks.

United win again shock

United won their third consecutive game, all away from home, last night at Brisbane Road, where they proved too strong for a poor Leyton Orient side. Oxford took the lead as early as the eighth minute following a piece of individual brilliance from the rejuvenated Andy Scott, who finished excellently from a tight angle. Orient should have equalised later in the half but Carl Hutchings decided to kick space rather than the ball. United doubled their lead twelve minutes into the second half after Scott was felled in the penalty area as he chased a through ball. Skipper Andy Crosby coolly smashed the ball past Glenn Morris. There then followed some sustained pressure from the home side as the Us sat back and held onto their lead, but they never really threatened Andy Woodman's goal until the final minute of injury time, when Lee Thorpe capitalised on some hesitant defending to bundle the ball home.

Despite the various injury scares United were able to start with the same line-up that began the game at Boston on Saturday. This was also the side that finished the game as Ian Atkins declined to make any substitutions, not even as a time-wasting measure towards the end of the match.

Referee P Prosser had an odd game, penalising minor offences and letting more serious abuses go unpunished. He booked Scott and David Oldfield. The attendance was 3,758 and two match reports can be found here.

This result lifts United to eighth in the table, just three points off second spot, whilst Orient have dropped to nineteenth. Hartlepool have consolidated their three point lead at the top thanks to a 2-1 win over Lincoln City, whilst Rochdale remain in second following their 4-3 win over Cambridge United, for whom Paul Wanless scored the third, whilst Paul Simpson hit Dale's second. York have gone third after their 1-0 win over Darlington, whilst somehow Torquay are fourth following their 2-1 win over Shrewsbury, for whom Nigel Jemson scored. Rushden have slipped to fifth as a result of their 3-1 defeat at Bournemouth whilst Wrexham have climbed up to sixth following their 4-0 demolition of Exeter City. The bottom two teams, Boston and Swansea, meet this evening, and Carlisle remain third bottom after losing 3-1 at Scunthorpe. Kidderminster won 2-0 at Southend and Bristol Rovers picked up three points with a 2-1 win against Bury. United's opponents this Saturday, Hull City, went down 3-1 at home to Macclesfield.

Other former Us on the scoresheet yesterday include Mark Stein, who hit Dagenham & Redbridge's second in their 3-1 win over Kettering, and Ben Abbey who scored Woking's only goal in their 5-1 humiliation at home to Margate. In the league Marco Gabbiadini hit a hat-trick in Northampton's 4-1 win against Colchester, who included Sam Stockley in their starting line-up. Matty Elliott scored Leicester's second as they beat Bradford City 4-0. There were no ex-Oxford players on the scoresheet in Luton's 3-2 home defeat to Mansfield or swindon's seventh successive defeat, 2-0 at Cheltenham, causing them to slip into the bottom four.