The good news just keeps coming for Oxford United, and today produced yet more positives for a club that appears to be definitely on the up.

First, Oxford travelled to Leicester City to play the Foxes in a behind-closed-doors friendly. With Billy Turley, Rhys Day, Ross Perry, Kevin Sandwith, and Marcus Kelly all playing the full 90 minutes, and Alfie Potter getting an 80-minute run out, with Sam Deering 75 minutes, this was a good exercise to give match practice to those on the fringes of the first team. Even better was the scoreline, with United winning 4-0. Deering scored the opener, followed by Adam Chapman and Potter, before James Constable banished the spot-kick blues with a late penalty. The only downside is the possible selection headaches this performance will give Chris Wilder ahead of Saturday's FA Cup game against Yeovil Town.

There was further good news as the Youth Team tonight beat Gloucester City 5-2 in the first round of the FA Youth Cup at Court Place Farm. Skipper James Dobson volleyed the Us ahead on the half-hour, but the visitors equalised quarter of an hour into the second half. Five minutes later Sam Parish headed United back into the lead, and Niall Hodgkins extended Oxford's advantage with 15 minutes to go. Five minutes later Gloucester pulled a goal back, but United kept at it and in the final five minutes Connor McDonagh made it 4-2 before Hodgkins rounded off the scoring. And all this without the injured Aaron Woodley. United will now visit Millwall in the second round after the Lions beat Southend United 3-1 at the New Den.

As if that wasn't enough, promotion rivals Kettering Town played their game in hand tonight at home to Wrexham and they dropped two points. Indeed, the welshmen were winning 2-1 before Kettering scored a penalty five minutes into injury time. All of which means that United's lead at the top of the Conference remains eight points, and now all the teams in contention have played 18 games.