An Oxford United side featuring a mixture of first team squad members, trialists and youngsters was beaten by a single goal in a 1-0 defeat to Brackley.
Four trialists took to the field for the U's with Australian brothers Chris and Peter Triantis joined by Spanish centre forward Oscar Martin and central midfielder Felipe Guerendez.
Guerendez has la Liga experience and lined up in midfield with the Triantis brothers. United also had saw Simon Eastwood in goal, Sam Parish at right back, Henry Owen and Leigh Franks in defence and Stevie Kinniburgh at left back. Alfie Potter played in a front three with Mitchell Cole either side of Martin.
The Brackley team featured a number of ex-United players with Chris Willmott, Michael Blackwood, Jerome Anderson, Barry Quinn, Franny Green and Tom Winters in their team, Steve Basham on the bench and the injured Billy Turley watching from the stands.
Front man Green who had the first effort on target of the evening after 14 minutes, which was comfortably saved by Eastwood, who turned away a second Green effort in spectacular style on 23 minutes after the striker led fly on the turn.
United got into the game after that and Cole sent over a cross to Henry Owen on 27 minutes that the centre back headed over. At the other end, Franks has to produce a last-ditch tackle to stop Anderson breaking clear shortly before the break as the sides went in at half time 0-0.
Franks had the chance to open the scoring on the hour when he narrowly missed making contact with a Deering free-kick. Pacy wide man Cole also had a great chance to open the U's account on 68 minutes when he outran the Brackley defence to latch onto a Deering through ball but his strong shot was well saved by the visitors' 'keeper.
Subsititute Aaron Woodley also had a low effort saved by the post but it was Brackley who made the breakthrough with six minutes remaining. Eastwood had already saved a good Anderson effort when Joe Power struck a loose ball through a crowd of players and beat the stopper to hand United their first defeat in pre-season.
