Elliott Moore, Josh Murphy, and Sam Long celebrate during the clubs’ last meeting

Generally speaking, United enjoy their visits to Stevenage, and not just because of its proximity to the Knebworth Festival site. Oxford have won four and drawn four of their nine previous visits to the Lamex, scoring a hatful of goals in the process.

The meetings go back to those dark Conference days, with the sides first meeting in Hertfordshire in December 2006, when a crowd of 3,008 (see, you do remember) saw the teams fight out a reasonably thrilling 2-2 draw, with Rob Duffy and Chris Hargreaves helping United to a point after they had been two goals down. It probably helped that the home side had two players sent off.

There were 16 more people in attendance the next time the sides met, at Broadhall Way, in August 2007. Those extra fans were likely wondering why they bothered as the sides drew again, this time without scoring any goals. The game was apparently so dull that no one bothered to upload any highlights to YouTube (although that might be just my lack of interweb skills coupled with that site’s appalling search engine.

In March 2009 the sides drew yet again, with James Constable scoring Oxford’s goal from the penalty spot in a 1-1 draw. This time it was the U’s that faced the ref’s wrath as Damian Batt was shown a straight red less than 15 minutes in.

United’s sole defeat in Stevenage came in March 2010, with both sides on their way to promotion to the Football League (Stevenage for the first time). Stevenage Borough (as they were for the last time before dropping the suffix, presumably because they thought it was too tinpot for the proper stuff) winning the title, and Oxford, of course, beating York City at Wembley in the play-off final. Stevenage won 1-0

The sides met in the Football League for the first time in February 2011, and wouldn’t you know it, they drew 0-0 again. And yes, there are no YouTube highlights.

United returned to winning ways in Stevenage when they next met, in January 2015. John Mullins and Callum O’Dowda scored the goals in a 2-0 win.

The following season, Oxford were on their way to promotion to League One and when they visited the Lamex in October 2015, the U’s were in no mood to ease up on their promotion ambitions, smashing five past Boro, who scored a consolation goal in reply. Two for Ryan Taylor, plus goals for Alex MacDonald, Kemar Roofe, and a Liam Sercombe penalty, did the damage. In keeping with tradition, Stevenage had two players sent off.

In August 2017, United fared even better, beating the Boro 6-2 in a Football League Trophy tie witnessed by a whopping 799 spectators. The U’s were so confident that they even let Stevenage take the lead before James Henry and Rob Hall turned it round. In the second period, Jon Obika and Hall added to the scoreline, with Joe Rothwell and Jack Payne completing the scoring for the Yellows. Like good humanitarians, though, Oxford allowed the home side to have the last word.

In Oxford’s promotion season from League One, they made it four wins in a row in Stevenage, in September 2023. Two goals from Greg Leigh and an Elliott Moore header secured a 3-1 win, after letting the home team open the scoring again.

The Match

United go into their first away league game of the season in relatively good shape, following Ciaron Brown’s last-minute equaliser against Milton Keynes last Saturday. The side was also buoyed by an excellent cameo from Mo Missanga on his first-team debut, while Gatlin O’Donkor and Peter Kioso also looked decent coming off the bench.

Mark Harris gave Oxford the lead after 15 minutes, so hopefully he can find the form with which he started the 2024/25 season, netting in each of the four opening fixtures. United will obviously be hampered by the depth of their squad after the registration embargo has prevented them from adding new players in this transfer window.

There’s still no update on the alleged want-away duo of Stan Mills and Brian De Keersmaecker, although with the news that United and Preston North End have agreed a transfer for Mills in January that should hopefully put an end to that little saga for a while, despite Mills recusing himself from the playing squad last Saturday. We are also awaiting news on whether or not Leigh will be available following the dental surgery that forced him to miss the MK game.

Stevenage also required a last-minute goal to rescue a point last weekend, with Oliver Sanderson scoring at the death in their 1-1 draw at Burton Albion.

Boro have no former players in their squad, which is a bit boring from a played-for-both point of view, although they did sign Matty Phillips from us last February, on transfer deadline day. His contract expired at the end of June and he is currently without a club. They have just signed striker Michael Mellon from Burnley, so he’ll probably score.

You’d like to think that Oxford could continue their winning run at the Lamex, but unlike death and taxes, nothing is certain. If they play like they did in the second half last Saturday, with maybe a tweak or two to tighten up the defence, then you’d certainly be reasonably optimistic as to their chances. However, Boro were last season’s losing play-off finalists in League One, so they are presumably at least half decent, and in Jamie Reid they have a forward that knows how to score goals.

I’d like to think that United will come away with the three points, especially as they then have two even trickier trips to Huddersfield and Leicester coming up next. Let’s go for 2-1 to the Mighty Yellows, why not.