Devastating blow to United's season

United crashed out of the LDV Trophy at the first hurdle this evening, being hugely demoralised by Bournemouth who beat Oxford 3-2 at the Kassam Stadium. Steve Fletcher put the Cherries ahead in the 24th minute and ten minutes later James Hayter doubled their lead. Four minutes after that Stephen Purches made it 3-0, and it wasn't even half time yet. Dave Waterman reduced the arrears, scoring his first goal for the club, in the 61st minute, and Andy Crosby set up a barnstorming last three minutes with a goal from the penalty spot. Oh the shame; oh the disappointment; oh the ennui…

Ian Atkins made changes aplenty for this fixture, for which he has to be applauded. United started with an attacking formation, with Paul Powell and ROS Chris Hackett as the wingbacks, and Steve Basham partnering Jefferson Louis up front. Roy Hunter made his debut in midfield and Waterman came in for a rare start. Atkins made a double substitution at half-time, bringing Matt Robinson on for Matt Bound and David Oldfield for Basham. Dean Whitehead later replaced Dave Savage. Good news for United is that Bobby Ford doesn't need an operation and should be back in a couple of weeks, hopefully in time for the Villa game.

Referee M Fletcher treated the game as a friendly, letting some quite tasty challenges from both sides go unpunished and turning down numerous penalty appeals (apart from the obvious Bournemouth handball from which Crosby scored). However he had no option but to book Hackett for his third or fourth horrendously late tackle. Never mind. The official attendance was somehow 4,663, presumably because all the absent season ticket holders were included in the figures, making it by far the largest crowd for the first round ties. There will be no match report for this game, largely because we just can't be bothered. Similarly no Man of the Match and Weakest Link vote. Sorry.

Former Us on the scoresheet today included Paul Wanless, who scored Cambridge United's first in their 4-0 win over Rushden & Diamonds, Scott Guyett, who put Chester ahead in their 2-1 defeat by Plymouth, and Lee Nogan, who scored York's second in their 4-3 defeat at Lincoln.

The big news in Wales is that the legend that is Steve Anthrobus has moved on from the corporate sponsorship gig at TNS and joined the mighty Cwmbran FC, where he will continue to fail to score against substandard opposition.