Oxfordshire bowed out of the ESFA Premier League Under 16 Inter County Trophy with a 2-0 defeat by Dorset at Shaftesbury Town.

Needing a draw to secure a place in the knockout stages, Oxon were left to rue a series of missed chances in the first half.

Oxfordshire's preparations were hit by the withdrawal of seven players due to injury, illness, or because they no longer wished to play for the county having been offered an Oxford United scholarship.

Oxfordshire had the slope and wind behind them in the first half, and deserved to be at least two goals ahead at the interval.

Rob Hoskin lobbed the ball over the advancing keeper, but it went inches wide of a post, and man-of-the-match Luke Carnell went close with two headers.

Tom Coates rounded the keeper, but a last-ditch challenge prevented a certain goal.

Elliott Peck scored for Dorset via a post in the first minute of the second half.

Ben Rusher was then denied an equaliser by an amazing save from the Dorset keeper.

Neil Kellaway added a second for Dorset from 25 yards with eight minutes left.

OLIVER Taylor hit a late qualiser to earn Vale of White Horse Under 14s a 3-3 draw against Mid Oxon in the Vale Cup at Milton United.

Mid Oxon had opened the scoring with a spectacular 50-yard effort from Joe Burgess sailing over the head of stranded Vale keeper Leigh Bedwell.

Chris Avery equalised for Vale, and Taylor put the hosts ahead early in the second half when poor tackling allowed him to run 40 yards unchallenged.

However, two great goals from James Murphy then saw Mid Oxon take charge.

On both occasions he picked up the ball near halfway, and left Vale defenders trailing in his wake, before finishing clinically.

Mid Oxon couldn't hang on though, and Taylor levelled with three minutes left.

VALE of White Horse Under 13s bowed out of the Oxford United Cup with a 2-1 quarter-final defeat away to East Berks.

The match was switched from Wokingham's frozen Cantlay Park to Easthampstead Park School, Bracknell.

And when it finally got under way, Vale keeper Craig Hill made numerous brave saves before he was finally beaten late in the first half.

A goal in the first minute of the second half gave East Berks breathing space.

Vale pulled one back two minutes from time when Michael Bone headed home Christian Evans's cross, but East Berks held on to secure a semi-final place against Swindon.