Oxford United picked up their first win of the season with a 1-0 victory over newly-promoted Carlisle.
It was a tight affair at Grenoble Road but a late strike from Mark Harris secured all three points for the U’s.
Here are three talking points from the game:
Nervy Start
There was an almost unnecessary pressure on this game having lost their League One opener at Cambridge and defeat against Bristol City in the Carabao Cup, and that showed in the early exchanges.
In the opening 15-20 minutes, the players seemed nervous and the atmosphere was tense. However, the U’s soon settled into a rhythm and began to look relaxed, despite having to wait until the 76th minute to open the scoring.
Harris Off the Mark
Summer signing Mark Harris opened his U’s account in a pre-season friendly against QPR but it will be a relief for Oxford’s new arrival to open his league account.
For some strikers, going several games before finding the back of the net can damage their confidence so for Harris to net early will be a boost for the U’s and for the striker.
Clean Sheet
After conceding two goals on the opening day and having shipped five against Bristol City, keeping the ball out of the back of the net was important for Liam Manning.
This was especially the case as the ‘first XI’ didn’t concede a single goal during pre-season.
However, the U’s were dealt a blow with Jordan Thorniley missing the game through injury. Despite that, youngster Stephan Negru put in another assured display in the back four, while the clean sheet will also be a boost for the full-backs in Sam Long and Ciaron Brown, who have come under criticism after the opening games.
