Oxford United 1 Portsmouth 2

United's final pre-season game before the start of the new season saw the Yellows put up a sterling performance against FA Cup winners Portsmouth, who fielded their first team for practically the whole game. There were times when United's passing and possession were outstanding, and it was sometimes difficult to tell which was the Premiership team and which was the First Division side, but it was Portsmouth's clinical finishing and, eventually, superior vision that was the difference between the two teams.

Oxford started strongly, and the first 20 minutes of the game was played mainly in Portsmouth's half. Lewis Haldane and Jamie Guy both caused early problems for the visitor's defence, but United were rocked as early as the sixth minute, when Guy had to be substituted for triallist Michael Husbands after feeling a hamstring twinge. Oxford maintained their rhythm, and Yemi Odubade shot narrowly wide after a Pompey mistake presented him with the ball some 20 yards out.

Portsmouth began to ease themselves into the game, and Ben Hinchliffe did his chances of earning a contract no harm at all with three excellent saves, from Jermain Defoe, Peter Crouch, and Papa Bouba Diop. Meanwhile, at the other end, a James Constable effort appeared to squirm under David James before Martin Crainie cleared the ball off the line. On the half hour Portsmouth made the breakthrough when Diop was on hand to tap home an excellent cross by Djimi Traore. On the stroke of half time the visitors doubled their lead when Lassana Diarra released Defoe and he clipped the ball over the onrushing Hinchliffe.

Half time saw the usual plethora of substitutions from Oxford, nine this time, while Portsmouth remained largely unchanged. Despite the changes, United continued to hold their own, and many of the youth team again impressed, as did triallist Levi Reid. A measure of United's performance was that second-half goalie Jake Cole didn't have to make a save until ten minutes from time, when he denied Diop. At the other end, James was called on to deny Husbands and Alex Jeannin. The transfer-listed left back had an excellent game, and on a couple of occasions going forward sublimely tricked his way past Portsmouth defenders, on the second occasion getting in a superb cross that was almost converted by fellow transfer-listee Eddie Hutchinson, also playing well. Eventually, United got the goal that they deserved when an excellent through ball by Richard Groves was met on the run by Alex Fisher who calmly sidefooted the ball in off the post, past the England goalkeeper.

This was another impressive performance from Oxford, who gave Portsmouth some awkward moments, and who looked strong both going forward, in midfield, and defensively. They didn't miss absent captain Adam Murray, rested as a precaution, with both Joe Burnell and Rob Davies having an excellent first half in central midfield, supplemented by Hutch and Groves in the second half. First half left winger Haldane caused havoc when running at the Pompey defence, while on the other flank Yemi had a less spectacular, but nonetheless useful performance. In the second period Davies went wide right, with Sam Deering on the left wing, and both again impressed. When Davies was substituted for Ian Sampson, Levi Reid moved up from full back to winger, and he once more showed enough to suggest he is worthy of a contract, as did Husbands, who played almost a full match until replaced 15 minutes from time by the lively Matty Taylor. The main causes for concern, apart from Guy's injury, were once again conceding a sloppy first goal with Diop's run not being covered, and the poor delivery from the second-half corners that United won. However, none of that should detract from the good showing, that justified much of the pre-season optimism flowing around the ground. Doubtless that will be dispelled on Friday instead.