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.

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.

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.

Kelvin & Chris will be taking part in the Abseil for Oxford Children’s Hospital (and Fund for Children) on September 19th. They will be abseiling 100′ down the side of the JR in Headington.

If you want to sponsor them, visit the JustGiving page here.

Mr Fogg can be found here….

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.

Some photos from Upton Park can be found here.

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.

More to come later…

MFW match gallery here.

United, back in the Totesport.com Football Combination after years away, returned to Loop Meadow for a new season.

United opened the scoring early on with a Mitchell Cole penalty. Alfie Potter was brought in the area, and Cole calmly slotted home from the spot. Southend equalised early in the second half. A Harry Crawford shot evading Nathan Silver in the U’s goal.

U’s team: Silver, Purkiss, Creighton, Franks, Kinniburgh, Bridcutt, Clist, Deering (McDonagh 83), Potter (West 83), Philliskirk (Woodley 72), Cole