Wednesday 7th August 2013 ko 19.30

Pre-Season Friendly

DIDCOT TOWN 0

OXFORD UNITED 3 (Marsh 13 71 McGlade 27)

Att c150

Entry £6

No Programme

I like visits to Didcot Town’s Loop Meadow Stadium, as unlike at least one club local to me the welcome is always fulsome, and the they work at the little things that add up to great customer service.

This game proved the point well. The press area required the line-ups, so the club knocked up a team sheet at zero notice. It wasn’t pretty, but it did the job and was much appreciated.

It did seem odd recording this as a pre-season friendly when Oxford United had already played their first league game, a morale-boosting 4-1 win at Portsmouth, but the Southern League season starts later, and this proved to be an excellent workout for Didcot against an OUFC development side supplemented by midfielder Scott Davies, captain for the night.

Without a doubt the game will be remembered for Oxford United triallist Dylan McGlade. The young Irish winger has recently been released by Middlesbrough’s academy, and appeared for OUFC’s development side away at Truro last week. On the evidence of this performance whoever was ahead of him in the pecking order at the Riverside must be an amazing player. Quick, and two-footed at times the ball seemed glued to his foot. He set up the first goal for Tyrone Marsh and danced through the home defence for the second. He faded a little in the second half so maybe fitness is an issue.

Didcot worked hard, and they’re unlikely to see wingers like McGlade or Aiden Hawtin on the right this season. What started as a last-minute exercise in giving Dad a night out turned into a highly enjoyable evening. I should have expected nothing less from the folk at Ladygrove.