Oxford United Secures First League One Win Under Aaron Ramsey
Aaron Ramsey hailed the character of his Oxford United side after they dug out their first League One win of the season with a hard-fought victory at Stevenage.
Second-half goals from Gatlin O'Donkor and Cameron Brannagan did the damage, before a late Stevenage strike in stoppage time set up a nervy finish that United just about survived. For Ramsey, in his first league campaign in charge, it was exactly the kind of examination he wanted his players to pass.
“It was a really tough place to go to but a test that we stood up to,” he told BBC Radio Oxford, satisfied and a touch relieved.
Oxford absorb the storm, then strike
Stevenage asked all the early questions. Ramsey knew they would. He set his team up to suffer without the ball and they did just that in the opening 45 minutes, digging in and defending deep.
“Particularly in the first half we knew that we would have to be on it from an out-of-possession point of view and I thought we were brilliant, we defended the box superbly,” he said.
That resilience laid the groundwork. Once the interval came and went, the pattern flipped.
With the hosts beginning to tire, Oxford grew in authority. The pressure finally told when substitute Stan Mills, on for his first appearance since agreeing a January move to Preston North End, made an instant impact. The 22-year-old drove at Stevenage and teed up O'Donkor, who finished to give United the lead.
From there, Oxford played with a control that had been missing in the first half. They moved the ball with more purpose, squeezed higher up the pitch and forced mistakes.
The reward came from the spot. Brannagan, as so often, took responsibility and buried the penalty to double the advantage and put Ramsey’s men within sight of a statement away win.
Mills’ farewell tour begins
Mills’ cameo carried an extra edge. Ramsey had already confirmed he will join Preston North End in January, yet the reaction from the travelling Oxford support left a clear mark on both player and manager.
“The reception that he got from the Oxford fans was really pleasing and Stan deserves that,” Ramsey said.
“He's been a player of high quality over the last few years and he deserves that moment with the fans today.”
His assist for O'Donkor’s opener only underlined his importance in the here and now, even with his future already mapped out.
Late scare, early marker
Stevenage refused to fold and finally broke through deep into added time, setting up a tense finale. Oxford, who had controlled long spells of the second half, suddenly found themselves hanging on.
This time, they did not crack. Ramsey’s first league win as United boss arrived with a touch of grit and just enough composure when it mattered.
“That gave us the confidence and the platform to take the game to them in the second half and I felt we really had control of the game then,” he reflected, pointing back to that first-half resilience as the turning point.
Oxford now roll on to Huddersfield on Tuesday, 1 September, armed with their first three points and a performance that suggests they are ready for the grind of a long League One season.
