United maintained their 100 per cent pre-season record last night, thanks to a second-half brace from Yemi Odubade at Eastleigh’s Silverlake Stadium. Once again, though, Oxford had to come back from behind after Dave Town smashed the ball home following a free-kick crossed into the area, just after the half-hour mark.

United started well, and after just three minutes Andy Burgess burst into the box only to see his shot well saved by the ageing Paul Musselwhite. Undeterred, United continued to attack, using the flanks well, and Eddie Anaclet caused lots of problems for the Eastleigh left back, although unfortunately his end product was too often lacking. He did come close to scoring, though, with a curling shot that drifted just wide, with Musselwhite beaten.

Fast Eddie was United’s main attacking threat, while Steady Eddie Hutchinson, playing his first game for United, in midfield linked up well with the forwards. Playing a 3-5-2 formation, there were some familiar faces in unfamiliar positions. Barry Quinn was in central defence, alongside Phil Gilchrist and triallist Matt Day, while John Dempster was in central midfield, with captain for the day Chris Hargreaves also playing his first game since the end of last season. Gavin Johnson impressed again at left wingback. Andy Burgess found himself in attack, partnered by triallist Rob Duffy. As the first half wore on it became clear that this striking partnership was not going to be the answer to United’s goalscoring quest this season, although Duffy again showed neat link-up play.

Surprisingly, Jim Smith only made one change at half time, replacing Turley with Chris Tardif. However, United didn’t look like breaking down the stubborn Eastleigh defence, martialled by Andy Bound, and fifteen minutes into the second half Smith made a triple substitution that paid almost immediate dividends. Chris Willmott came on for Quinn in defence, new signing Carl Pettefer replaced Hutchinson, and Yemi took over from Burgess in attack. It’s amazing the difference that having a striker with pace can make, and Yemi’s introduction immediately gave the Us an attacking edge. Five minutes later Guinean triallist Mo Lamine came on for Anaclet, and although he wasn’t as tricksy as at Didcot, his presence made a difference.

Within a couple of minutes of Lamine’s introduction, Gilchrist intercepted a pass and burst through the centre. He flicked a pass through to Yemi, who finished as clinically as he had at Didcot. Another two minutes, and this time Yemi did it all on his own, skinning Bound before beating Musselwhite with another excellent finish. The closest that Eastleigh came to scoring an equaliser was when a Brian Dutton cross, intended for The Spitfire’s new signing, a certain Jefferson Louis, almost drifted in at Tardif’s far post, but it went harmlessly wide.

This was by no means a convincing performance from Oxford, and their lack of a clinical goalscorer in the first half was thrown into sharp relief by Yemi’s instinctive strikes. Central midfield was a weak area, with Dempster in particular looking uncomfortable in this role, while neither Hargreaves nor Hutchinson really imposed themselves on the game in the way that Burgess, who is not a forward, had at Didcot. The defence looks solid enough, and both Anaclet and Johnson provided some decent attacking wing play, while Lamine again looked useful. But, at the end of the evening, this game was turned by Yemi, playing against opposition at the same level as his former club, Eastbourne Borough.