OXFORD United scored three times as they breezed past Oxford City in their first pre-season game in front of supporters.

First half goals from Louie Sibley and Will Goodwin put United 2-0 up at the break, before a sumptuous lobbed effort from Cameron Brannagan sealed the evening late on.

Des Buckingham gave first glimpses of summer signings Jacob Knightbridge, Jack Currie, Will Vaulks and Sibley to the U’s fans at Court Place Farm, with that quartet all starting. United’s starting line-up included a trialist on the left wing.

The U’s took the lead with the game’s first sight of goal, as the trialist played the ball through to Marcus McGuane in the left channel of the penalty box, with the midfielder producing a low cross which Sibley finish from inside the six-yard box.

The opener came with 11 minutes on the clock, and half a dozen minutes later, good defending from the Hoops thwarted the trialist, playing on the left wing, from getting solid headed contact on Goodwin’s hooked cross.

On the right-hand side, Aidan Elliott-Wheeler showed flashes of quality, and had the better of his man on a couple of occasions.

Just after 20 minutes had been played, he collected the ball from Goodwin, looked for options, and dug out a shot which proved a comfortable enough hold for Kai McKenzie-Lyle.

United’s advantage was doubled after 25 minutes, as they pounced on a loose ball, with the trialist playing through Goodwin, who made no mistake and calmly finished low past McKenzie-Lyle and into the goalkeeper’s bottom left corner.

Goodwin was denied a quickfire second when McKenzie-Lyle produced a brilliant low stop to thwart the striker.

As half-time approached, a ball over the top found Sibley in the right-hand side of the penalty area, but again McKenzie-Lyle came to the Hoops rescue with a smart stop.

The Hoops threatened for the first time with two minutes left in the first half, as Bradley Stretton cut in onto his left foot, and sent a whizzing effort goalward, only for it to clip the top of the crossbar.

It seemed as though Knightbridge got a fingertip to it, but the referee pointed for a goal kick.

The opening stages of the second period saw the Hoops push higher up the pitch and take the game to the U’s more, but it was United who had the first attempt of the half.

James Golding brought the ball forward well from right back, and when he squeezed into the area, his shot was stopped by McKenzie-Lyle.

At the other end, the impressive Stretton, a summer addition from Coventry City, stabbed wide from a tight angle on the right-hand side of the box.

A stinging strike from Lewis Coyle from 20 yards out was then pushed away by Knightbridge, prior to both sides making a whole host of changes.

The U’s changed their entire outfield side, and two of those alterations linked up well, as Gatlin O’Donkor chased a ball down the right-hand side and found a cross for Mark Harris, who couldn’t quite get the ball out of his feet, with his shot stopped by McKenzie-Lyle.

O’Donkor continued to cause havoc on the flank, as he shrugged off his marker and dug out a cross-cum-shot which was claimed underneath his crossbar by McKenzie-Lyle.

A flowing United counter-attack saw Ruben Rodrigues loft the ball down the left channel for Harris, who exchanged passes with Brannagan, and sent in a cross which Rodrigues headed over the crossbar.

Rodrigues went closer moments later when his fizzing strike was just about kept out by McKenzie-Lyle, who grasped the ball at the second attempt.

The home side kept plugging away though, with left back Chi Ezennolim drilling a low effort across goal and narrowly wide of the far post.

United kept searching for their third though, and came close when a ball across the face of goal landed to O’Donkor, who was denied by the feet of McKenzie-Lyle.

Brannagan grabbed the third goal moments later, when his lobbed effort from outside the area sailed over a helpless McKenzie-Lyle.

Tyler Goodrham looked to repeat the trick when he latched onto a lofted ball down the left, but his chipped attempt dropped the wrong side of the far post.

Oxford City (4-2-3-1): McKenzie-Lyle; Burley, Jones, Kpekawa (Trialist C 62), Ezennolim; Ashby, Coyle (Trialist A 69); Andrews (Potter 32), Stretton (Osborne 69), McEachran; Parker (Carbon 62).

Unused subs: Trialist B, McConnell, Daniel, Croker.

Booked: None.

Oxford United (4-3-3): Knightbridge; Golding (Kioso 62), Long (Moore 62), Thorniley (Brown 62), Currie (McIntyre 62); Sibley (Rodrigues 62), Vaulks (Johnson 62), McGuane (Brannagan 62); Elliott-Wheeler (O’Donkor 62), Goodwin (Harris 62), Trialist (Goodrham 62).

Unused subs: None.

Booked: None.

Referee:

Attendance: 2,062.