Oxford United went out of the JPT tonight after a 0-2 defeat at Aldershot.

Chris Wilder made a number of changes, and it showed as United went out of a competition that really only has value if you get to Wembley.

U’s team was: Clarke, Tonkin, Creighton, Wright, Purkiss, Clist, Baker, Payne (Bulman 67), Potter, Cole (Deering 57), Green (Midson 67).

Goals from Hylton on 17 minutes, and Spencer on 58 minutes gave the Shots the win.

One of the more protracted transfer rumours of the summer came to fruition today. Luton Town striker Tom Craddock joined Oxford United for an undisclosed fee.

Craddock started off at the Middlesborough academy, making a couple of first team appearances. He went out on loan to Wrexham, Hartlepool, and then Luton. After scoring four goals in eight games on loan, Luton shelled out £80,000 to make the move permanent. In just over a season and a half with the Hatters Craddock scored 34 goals in 68 starts (plus 9 sub). He was their top goal-scorer last season.

Twenty three year old Craddock joins United for an undisclosed fee. He’s has signed a three year deal with Oxford. Looks like an excellent signing to bolster U’s attacking options. Good also to annoy our non-league ‘friends’ from Kennilworth Road.

Oxford United have signed Doncaster midfielder Josh Payne on a month loan deal.

The 19 year old midfielder is a product of the West Ham Academy system, and had made sub appearances for the Hammers first team. Some were surprised when he was released in the summer. Payne signed a 6 month deal with Doncaster inthe summer, and scored on his Donny debut in the Carling Cup defeat against Accrington Stanley.

He joins U’s for a month, potentially to cover Simon Heslop, but maybe with a view to a longer term signing.

Oxford United’s first game against Accrington Stanley didn’t spark the apocalypse, but neither did it spark much excitement.

Following on from the magnificent, but ultimately fruitless, trip to West Ham on Tuesday, Oxford brought back Matt Green and Jack Midson to face their Northern rivals. Accrington looked likely to be dogged opponents having not conceded a league goal this season (two 0-0′s and a 3-0 win).

United started slowly, and looked off the pace after their midweek exertions. Accrington closed and harried when not on the ball, and tried to break with pace when they did. Stanley were also perfectly happy with a 0-0 draw, wasting time from the early stages at every throw, goal kick, free-kick and other stoppage. The best of the first half chances probably fell to Accrington, but Ryan Clarke was equal to the best they could throw at him.

U’s came out for the second half with some added purpose, no doubt with some strong words ringing in their ears. U’s best chances both fell to Beano in the opening 10 minutes of the second period. First firing off a shot into the side netting from a tight angle. Then acrobatically volleying Jack Midson’s head back towards goal, only to be denied by a good Dunbavin save.

The game mostly petered out from there. Accrington offered very little going forward, wasting even more time as the game went on. U’s passing was generally poor and too rushed. We were slow to the second ball as well. We weren’t really helped by some poor refereeing – though it didn’t really change the game.

So, 0-0 it finished. For the first time this season we haven’t played well, but at least we didn’t lose.

MFW’s match gallery is here.

MFW’s West Ham match photo gallery is now online.

Some photos from Upton Park can be found here.

Oxford United produced a magnificent performance at Upton Park tonight. Taking West Ham all the way, only losing out to an injury time Scott Parker goal.

The fact that Hammer players and fans celebrated like they’d won the final showed how desperate they were. They are really going to struggle to stay in the top flight if this was anything to go by. They even voted their ‘keeper as man-of-the-match!

More tomorrow, including a match gallery.

Oxford United are still unbeaten away from home in the League after a 0-0 draw at Wycombe Wanderers today.

More to come later…

MFW match gallery here.

The officials have been named for our trip to Wycombe Wanderers on Saturday.

The referee is Anthony Taylor from Manchester. Taylor has ref’d one game this season, the Premier League clash between Sunderland and Birmingham. He showed 6 yellow and one red card in the game, and earned the wrath of Steve Bruce who called Taylor “out of his depth”.
Last season he ref’d 36 games, showing  92 yellow and 8 red cards. He doesn’t seem to have ref’d an Oxford game before.

His assistants will be R J Corp and M Russell, the fourth official isA A Laver.

Oxford United lost their NPower League 2 game against Bury at the KasStad today.

Oxford United were taught a valuable lesson on their home Football League return today – take your chances or be punished. U’s battered Bury for most of the second half, but were hot by the classic sucker punch breakaway goal.

Chris Wilder named an unchanged team, and the continuity paid off as U’s started brightly. Matt Green, Asa Hall and Beano had chances in the first 15 minutes. Bury are no mugs though, and they worked the ball on the break with speed. Both sides created chances, it was a refreshing change to have such an open game after four years of bus parking.

Unfortunately for Oxford, a combination of poor refereeing and poor defending gifted Bury the lead. On 26 minutes referee Tanner award a mystifying free-kick, probably against Wright, but who knows. Bury pumped a long diagonal ball to the back post, and Tom Lees beat a static defense to head home. U’s could have gone further behind almost straight away Bishop missing what seemed an easy chance. The spurred United back into life, and just two minutes later they were level. Good work by James Constable drew the defence, and his pass set up Jack Midson to net his second goal of the season. The game then continued in an end to end fashion until the break.

United came out for the second half to attack at full pelt, just as the heavens opened and the rain poured down. U’s attacked with verve, but just lacked that killer instinct and luck in front of goal. It was a great game to watch, but just a nagging doubt that we would be made to pay for the missed chances (thinking of the Man Utd friendly…). And so it came to pass, on 79 minutes United were caught upfield as Howarth slid in Ryan Lowe who sold Clarke a dummy and finished well. It was a hammer blow, but United again swept forward to try and get an equaliser. Harry Worley was pushed forward as an auxilary forward with Beano, LSD, Alfie and Mitchell Cole. Beano, Cole and LSD had chances, but Bury turned ‘professional’ and saw the game out.

So 1-2 it finished, but U’s fans gave their team an ovation, great attacking football and good entertainment for the 7552 in attendance. United need to learn from this and move on. Next week’s game at Wycombe will be a stern test.

MFW’s match gallery can be found here.

Oxford United have been drawn away to Aldershot in the first round of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy.

United were drawn after the Shots in the convoluted multi-region draw – Aldershot in the South-West? – this morning. The game will take place w/c 30th August.