Football: Oxford at best for cameras

Oxford United 3 Portsmouth

Oxford United 3 Portsmouth 0

OXFORD UNITED, without a goal for 402 minutes at the start of the match, recorded their first win of the season in front of the Sky television cameras at the Manor Ground yesterday.

For the first 25 minutes Portsmouth ran them ragged and only three excellent saves by Phil Whitehead from John Aloisi, John Durnin and David Hillier kept them in the game.

United finally found the net after 28 minutes. Jamie Cook, Paul Powell and Matt Murphy linked up on the left before the ball was played out to Les Robinson, whose cross from the right was headed in by the England Under-21 international Simon Marsh.

Six minutes later Pompey conceded a penalty and had their full-back Robbie Pethick sent off. Cook flicked a pass from Murphy past the full-back and was allowed to continue after Pethick pulled at his shirt.

Cook's shot was brilliantly saved by Aaron Flahavan but referee Paul Taylor halted play, awarded Oxford a penalty and showed Pethick the red card, having booked him earlier for another foul on Cook. Dean Windass scored from the spot.

Then, after 74 minutes, when Portsmouth failed to clear, Murphy slipped a pass to Windass, who chested the ball down and drove in his second goal.

Goals: Marsh (28) 1-0, Windass (pen 34) 2-0; Windass (74) 3-0.

Oxford United: Whitehead; Robinson, Marsh, Gray (Hill, 77), Whelan, Gilchrist (Thomson, 45), Powell, Windass, Cook, Murphy, Beauchamp. Substitute not used: Banger.

Portsmouth: Flahavan; Pethick, Simpson, McLoughlin, Whitbread, Awford, Thogersen, Hillier (Kyzeridis, 66), Aloisi, Durnin (Peron, h-t), Igoe (Phillips, h-t).

Referee: P Taylor (Cheshunt).

Sending-off: Portsmouth: Pethick. Bookings: Oxford: Whitehead, Gray, Thomson. Portsmouth: Pethick, Awford.

Man of the match: Windass.

Attendance: 6,626.