Southend United under 19s suffer defeat to Oxford City

Both Blues teams will be based at the venue this season, with the shadow squad kicking off their campaign next Wednesday against West Ham United Foundation, but Danny Heath’s side were unable to register a win after Oxford netted twice in the opening four minutes.

Archie Barkley put the visitors in front after just 82 seconds, with Freddy Joyce adding a quickfire second before Nathan Woodley halved the deficit 17 minutes into the match.

Charlie Bacon made it 3-1 to the Citizens at half-time and, despite Zevyan Makangua marking his competitive debut with a goal, Phil Crower rounded out the victory.

Heath named an identical starting line-up to the 11 that got the campaign underway at Eastleigh last week, and the teenage Shrimpers almost made the perfect start as Jack Stone threaded the ball into the path of Woodley, who directed his shot wide inside the opening 60 seconds.

But Oxford broke immediately up the other end of the pitch with pace and Barkley’s strike was deflected beyond Blues goalkeeper Charlie Brown to provide the visitors with an early advantage.

It took just two further minutes for City to double their lead, with left-back Joyce this time finding the target.

Having been presented with the opportunity to shoot from a free-kick on the edge of the Southend penalty area, the defender guided an unstoppable shot past Brown to make it 2-0.

Joe Gurie survived a penalty claim after appearing to tug back Bacon in the eighth minute, and a rampant Oxford almost added a third just before the quarter-of-an-hour mark as several shots were blocked by the Blues backline before Brown thwarted Bacon with a superb save.

However, on 17 minutes, Southend pulled a goal back through Woodley.

He was the recipient of a brilliant lay-off by Stone before burying his left-footed shot past Russell Thomas in the Oxford goal to record his first goal for the Shrimpers.

Stone almost hauled his side level with a fierce right-footed attempt from distance in the 25th minute, but Thomas managed to hold his shot and instead City were celebrating again two minutes later.

A brilliant 40-yard run by Bacon saw him elude the attention of numerous Southend defenders before rifling home.

Blues had an immediate opportunity to reduce the deficit to one goal again, but Jonny Gurie directed his shot wide of the target and, a few minutes after skipper Joe Poxon was cautioned for a foul, the referee sounded the half-time whistle.

There were no changes at the break for the hosts, who were indebted to Brown for clawing Kyrin Webb’s teasing cross away from goal in the 52nd minute.

Crower then nodded off target just before the hour, with Thato Molefi heading wide from Mitchell Ward’s fine cross at the opposite end shortly afterwards.

Makangu was introduced in place of Jonny Gurie midway through the second half, and he made it 3-2 within a minute of coming on.

Again, Stone did well in the build-up to shield the ball and allow the substitute to steer his shot into the net with the help of a deflection off Crower.

A measure of Oxford’s anxiety came as they tried to protect the ball from Stone and Woodley, who were attempting to initiate a quick restart, with both Blues players and Hamza Jabari cautioned in the ensuing melee.

City sub Caleb Moir was also yellow carded for delaying the restart five minutes later as the visitors attempted to manage the game.

Southend were unable to carve out any further chances, and instead Oxford restored their two-goal advantage through defender Crower, who thumped in a volley from a Joyce corner.

That was the final meaningful action of the encounter, with Blues travelling to Dorking Wanderers in the Academy South Division next week still in search of their first points of the season.

Southend United U19s: Charlie Brown, Julius Nwike, Thato Molefi, Olu Shobowale, Joshua Jackson, Nathan Woodley (Obi Okafor, 82), Johnny Gurie (Zevyan Makangu, 68), Joe Gurie, Mitchell Ward, Joe Poxon, Jack Stone.