Third-placed Boro meet second-placed Oxford United at The Lamex Stadium for a huge top-of-the-table clash…
The Lamex Stadium is the place to be on Saturday as Stevenage look to continue their impressive form in Sky Bet League One. Boro have lost just one of their last eleven league games at The Lamex Stadium, with attendances as high as ever. Saturday’s test will undoubtedly be a tough one though, as second-placed Oxford look to spoil the fun.
Last weekend, Stevenage added another three points to their league tally with a convincing victory over managerless Cheltenham Town. Jordan Roberts grabbed the opener before substitute Elliott List netted a brace to wrap up the 3-0 win.
The Opposition
Oxford United have had a flying start to their campaign as they sit second in the table, having won six of their first eight matches. The side come into this weekend’s fixture off the back of two consecutive 3-0 victories in the league. Last Saturday, the U’s went head-to-head with Exeter City, who have also enjoyed a positive start to the season, and picked up an enormous 3-0 win thanks to goals from Ruben Rodrigues and Cameron Brannagan.
Brannagan is the man to look out for in the Oxford United side, with the midfielder grabbing three goals and an assist already this season. The 27-year-old has started every single league game for Oxford so far this campaign, and will no doubt aim to put on a good performance in this weekend’s top-of-the-table clash in Hertfordshire.
Liam Manning is currently enjoying his first full season in charge of Oxford United after being appointed Head Coach in March of this year. He previously spent a season and a half in charge of MK Dons where he led his side to a third-place finish in League One before falling short in the play-offs.
Against Their Former Club
Three current first-team Stevenage players could appear against their former club on Saturday. Alex MacDonald spent two years at Oxford United from 2015 to 2017 where he appeared on ninety-seven occasions, scoring twelve goals.
Kane Hemmings played alongside MacDonald at Oxford during the 2016/17 campaign. The striker made forty appearances for the U’s, scoring six goals in the process. Before that, a certain Jake Forster-Caskey enjoyed a loan spell at Oxford United in the first half of the 2012/13 campaign. It was a joyous spell for the young midfielder at the time as he netted three goals in sixteen appearances.
The Officials
Carl Brook has been appointed Match Referee for tomorrow’s fixture, with Michael Webb and Hugh Gilroy as his Assistants and Stuart Kane as Fourth Official. Brook has so far handed out forty-four yellow cards and one red in eight games this season.
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