Hoops scrape a draw with Oxford
The U's gained a more than creditable draw with Championship side QPR tonight as goals from Matt Green and Jack Midson capped an impressive team performance and once again underlined the potential for what lies ahead.
United started with Ryan Clarke in goal and a back four of Adam Chapman, Rhys Day, Mark Creighton and Kevin Sandwith. In midfield Adam Murray and Marcus Kelly added width outside Dannie Bulman and Simon Clist, while James Constable and Green led the line. On the bench 17 year old youth team keeper Nathan Silver acted as deputy for the ill Billy Turley.
It took ten minutes for the breakthrough as Rangers capitalised on a long spell of possession to score with the first chance of the game. Gavin Mahon adds experience in midfield but got forward well to get on the end of a left wing through ball and finish neatly across Clarke into the far corner. Rangers, in their fifth pre-season game, looked sharp and composed on the ball and enjoyed the fine playing surface and excellent conditions to pass the ball around in a style in the mould of their new manager.
It took two excellent challenges from Day and Creighton to keep them out but gradually United got to the pace of the game and started to show what they can do. Just after the half hour mark Green combined well with the lively Kelly and sprinted clear on the left, but chose to shoot into the arms of keeper with teammates busting a gut to get alongside him in the area. Constable then snatched at a chance and blazed well over when he had more time than he realised, while Green had claims for a penalty waved away on 36 minutes as he turned sharply around Kaspars Gorkss.
Constable's volley on the turn, from a Chapman long throw flicked on by Creighton, was deflected over the bar by 'one size' Fitz Hall, and after that sluggish opening United had created several good chances despite the undoubted quality of the opposition. Their liveliest player was Wayne Routledge on the right wing but when he got through on 43 he found Clarke equal to his low shot, making an excellent save down to his right.
With no changes at half time United continued to match their higher league opponents and on 54 they were level from the spot. The excellent Chapman first cleared the danger at one end then sprinted forward to receive a return ball from Adam Murray. He then sent a fine pass down the right channel for Green who took a touch and cut inside before firing in a left footed effort which struck Gorkss as he tried to block. Ref Farries was well placed and decided it struck an arm, allowing Green to thump his penalty into the corner of the net for the first of many goals the returning striker will bag for the U's.
Credit to Rangers for coming back after that and nine minutes later the excellent Routledge capped a fine game with a well taken goal. Sub Taarabt flicked an exquisite pass through for him in acres of space and he rounded Clarke before finishing neatly from an acute angle to make it 2-1.
However, United are a squad full of characters and on 69 minutes were level once again. Murray scrapped and battled on the right to find space for a floated cross. Matthew Connolly was caught between heading clear and chesting back to the keeper but took the wrong option instead by chesting it into the path of Midson who tapped it past the keeper and into the net to score his third goal of a very promising pre-season.
Rangers nearly scored when sub Alessandro Pelicori struck the inside of Clarke's right hand post but their neat passing football often ran into the wall of Creighton and Day who look a formidable pairing at the back. With Bulman and Clist knitting things together in midfield and now with three strikers who look like scoring whatever the opposition or the combination there are serious grounds for optimism for the U's fans
An enjoyable game between two sides with plenty to play for this season.
United
Clarke, Chapman, Day, Creighton, Sandwith, Murray (Potter 78), Bulman, Clist, Kelly (Rhodes 78), Constable (Deering 80), Green (Midson 66)
Subs
Silver, Deering, Midson, Carruthers, Killock, Potter, Rhodes
Att:3,246
Away: 893
