Saturday 17th September 2011, ko 11am (but delayed 15 minutes)

Football League Youth Alliance South/West Division

OXFORD UNITED 1 (Morris 90)

AFC BOURNEMOUTH 1 (Zocchi 49)

Att 34 (h/c)

@ Rover Sports & Social Club, Romanway, Oxford

Entry FREE

Nothing for Sale

When, Rover Cowley folded mid-way through last season, my “I’ll do it later” attitude towards the ground looked rather stupid. I tried to tick off the ground for Rover Cowley in Sunday football (which isn’t really Rover Cowley) but that was played on an outside pitch.

I’m fortunate that Oxford United have taken on the place as their training centre, new buildings have and are being erected, and the place has beeen given a lick of paint. For this season at least all youth and ladies games will take place there.

With a cheeky double lined up the last thing I wanted was a delayed kickoff, but the Cherries minibus got lost in Cowley, blaming a dodgy postcode, I mean how hard to spot is a car works? Still 15 minutes was acceptable and the game was excellent

I really should watch more youth football. This was a good passing game, but perhaps mirroring the first XI United did everything BUT score. A lot was being made of a Wunderkid,  Jayden Stockley playing up front for Bournemouth but he was well marshaled by Long and Dormer, and by the end cut a disheartened figure.

Of course there’s a script for these kind of games, and Zocchi’s neat finish 12 yards out to the left, was right on message. United huffed and puffed, missing chance after chance, until midfielder Morris took an 18 yards punt. Keeper Chad Collins should have got his body behind it but a simple hand was not enough and the ball squirmed into the bottom left corner.

Cruel, but justice