Oxford United boss Des Buckingham defended new signing Will Vaulks after a scrap broke out in their 1-0 loss to Mansfield Town.

Tempers flared just before the end as the 30-year-old clashed with Mansfield’s Hiram Boateng to spark a melee that saw players from both sides pushing and shoving each other around the pitch.

Buckingham played it down and praised Vaulks, saying: “It will be important to us that we have got not just his quality on the ball but we have his type of player.

“We know we will have to work hard in the Championship and he will be a real asset.”

READ MORE: Scrap breaks out as Oxford United lose Mansfield friendly late on

New signing Will Vaulks was defended by his manager.New signing Will Vaulks was defended by his manager. (Image: OUFC)

The U's gaffer also looked ahead to the club’s next two friendlies after the late defeat at League One Mansfield.

Premier League Southampton will be at the Kassam on Wednesday, with Italian club Palermo the visitors next Saturday ahead of United’s opening Championship game at home to Norwich on August 10.

Buckingham said: “Those two games will be important to us for two reasons – it give us the opportunity to bring the whole squad together for the first time and it allows us to focus on what we then want to do in the first league game of the season.

“These are two wonderful opportunities to test ourselves against high-end opposition.”

READ MORE: Oxford United shirt worn by England hero Paul Gascoigne

United were beaten late on by Mansfield Town.United were beaten late on by Mansfield Town. (Image: OUFC)

On recruitment, Buckingham said: “Wide areas are key. Everyone can see how we want to play and how important wide players are to us. We are doing as much as we can to recruit players who will add quality to how we want to play.

“We started at Mansfield with Tyler Goodrham on the wing and Gatlin O’Donkor on the wing. But they’re not wingers. Gatlin is a very good, exciting young centre-forward and I don’t see Tyler as a wide player any more. He has been so effective when we’ve moved him inside and that’s where I see him playing this season.

“Front line players are the ones everybody wants, and the picture changes daily.

“We need to be mindful that we don’t rush into a decision where we get a player into the building who might help us in the first two games but doesn’t really fit with what we want to do in the grand scheme of things.

“It’s a constant battle that we’re having. We have a way we want to play that involves wingers and we don’t have them just now.”

READ MORE: Oxford United shirt held by Brazil World Cup legend Pele

Goodrham and midfielder Cameron Brannagan have signed new deals with Oxford, and Buckingham said: “They are two excellent signings for the club. Sometimes clubs can forget how important players in the squad are. We don’t do that. Those two are as good as new signings for us, if not more important.  

“We have a very good player in Tyler, and I’m excited to see where his ceiling could be, this year and beyond.

“I don’t need to say too much about Cam – everyone knows what he’s done for this club in the last six years to help us get to where we are and now we’ll see how well we can  do in the Championship with him.”

READ MORE: Oxford United fans set up lift share for Championship games

The Yellows will take on Premier League side Southampton next.The Yellows will take on Premier League side Southampton next. (Image: OUFC)

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