QPR Development Squad (3) – Oxford City (2) 

Pre-Season Friendly 

First-Half: Halliday, Trialist A, Balogun, McDowell, Leahy, Petrie, Trialist B, Aoraha, Talla, Coomes. Trialist C 

Subs: Cuthbert, Tarbotton, Sanyaolu 

Second-Half: Halliday, Friel, Wilkie, Cuthbert, Adjetey-Brew, Sanyaolu, Dyke, Tuck, Vaughan, O’Brien, Kennedy 

Sub: Neill 

On a hot evening at the TSG Training Centre, the Development Squad took on National League North side, Oxford City. Amongst those looking on was Julien Stephan.     

Neither side provided any real attempt on goal in the first 15 minutes or so. 

Joel Halliday was called into action when the Rangers keeper had to head the ball away from the edge of the box. 

Then, after the R’s had given the ball away, the City No.10 shot wide of the target. 

At the other end, a free kick from a widish position on the edge of the box, forced a flying save from Max Treml. 

Rangers took the lead on 25 minutes after Jake Leahy had knocked the ball into the box, where trialist C was on hand to finish at the near post. 

The R’s doubled their lead seven minutes or so later. An excellent ball found Alex Aoraha, who was then knocked over by a City trialist in the box. Aoraha then stepped up and belted the ball into the net. 

The visitors pulled a goal back a few minutes later following a free kick into the box. The Oxford trialist centre-half sprung up to head the ball home. 

Rangers added a third on 38 minutes. Jack McDowell’s superb through ball was collected by trialist A, whose low strike entered the net via the upright. 

However, City narrowed the deficit just a couple a minutes later after the lino hadn’t spotted the ball had clearly gone out for a throw-in! Tom Scott then clipped in Charlie Bacon’s assist from inside the box. Half-time: 3-2. 

Both sides made wholesale changes for the second-half, and behind us, the QPR Women’s squad were beginning to undertake a training session. 

Little was being created after the break, and it was the visitors who were enjoying the majority of possession. 

But Jayden Carbon got himself into a good position and his shot swung away as it passed the top corner. 

For the R’s, Rohan Vaughan’s shot from near the bye-line hit the side-netting. 

Oxford went close to forcing an equaliser on two occasions in very quick succession. 

Joel Halliday did well to get down and push the ball away to safety. 

Rohan Vaughan had a very good opportunity to seal the victory when, getting one-on-one with the keeper, his attempt was kept out by the keeper’s legs. 

The visitors had been the better side after the break, but at full-time it finished in a narrow victory for the R’s.  

Paul Furlong’s side travel to Chelmsford on Saturday. 

Steve Russell