The U's Matchzone

Match Report: Carabao Cup First Round – Oxford United 1-1 AFC Wimbledon (4-3 on pens)

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Oxford United kicked off their new campaign with a hard-fought victory over AFC Wimbledon in the first round of the Carabao Cup.

Cameron Brannagan gave the U’s a second-half lead, but Karl Robinson’s side were pegged back just five minutes later. Simon Eastwood saved a late Anthony Hartigan penalty in normal time, before the U’s goalkeeper made two saves in the penalty shootout, which Oxford won.

Robinson fielded arguably his strongest available eleven. However, two of his summer signings in Sean Clare and Joel Cooper were suspended and on international duty respectively.

Eastwood began in goal despite calls for Jack Stevens to start the cup tie. He sat behind a back four of Sam Long, Elliott Moore, Rob Atkinson – who was making his debut for the U’s – and Josh Ruffels.

Alex Rodriguez Gorrin sat in front of the back four, with debutant Marcus McGuane alongside Brannagan in the middle. Mark Sykes started on the left in the absence of Cooper, with James Henry on the right and Matty Taylor up front.

The U’s started brightly. Brannagan saw a free-kick tipped over, before Moore and Sykes squandered half-chances inside the opening ten minutes.

But the Dons regrouped and made it difficult for Robinson’s side to break them down. 25 minutes in and the visitors had their first chance, but Eastwood did well to keep out Terrel Thomas’ low effort.

After the restart, it was a similar story. Oxford looked comfortable on the ball but struggled to get past an organised Dons defence. It was Eastwood who was the busiest goalkeeper, denying Luke O’Neill, but the U’s soon found the opener.

Wimbledon failed to properly clear a cross and Brannagan struck from 20-yards to give the U’s the lead. Moments later, the 24-year-old tried his luck from range, but Connal Trueman was equal to it.

But less than five minutes after the opener, the Dons were level. It came from a corner in which Oxford failed to deal with, and Ryan Longman was credited with the final touch.

As penalties loomed, Ruffels saw his header saved at one end before Anthony Forde was adjudged to have fouled Nesta Guinness-Walker inside the box, but Eastwood expertly denied Hartigan from the spot.

Eastwood made two excellent stops in the shootout and, although Henry missed his spot-kick, the U’s progressed to the second round after Forde, McGuane, Taylor and Brannagan all scored from 12-yards.

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