Oxford United Secures First League One Win Under Aaron Ramsey

Aaron Ramsey hailed his Oxford United side for “standing up to the test” as they ground out their first League One win of the season with a hard-fought victory at Stevenage.

After a bruising, goalless first half in which Oxford had to dig in and absorb pressure, the game finally cracked open after the break. Gatlin O'Donkor struck the opener, and Cameron Brannagan’s penalty gave the visitors breathing space before a late Stevenage goal in stoppage time set up a tense finish. Oxford held their nerve. Ramsey had his first win as United boss.

“It was a really tough place to go to but a test that we stood up to,” Ramsey told BBC Radio Oxford, clearly satisfied with the manner of the performance as much as the result.

Oxford spent long spells of the first half without the ball but refused to buckle.

“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,” Ramsey said.

That resilience laid the foundations for what followed. Once the interval passed, Oxford began to push higher, press with more conviction and turn the match on its head. The pressure told. O'Donkor broke the deadlock, and when Brannagan calmly converted from the spot for the second, the away end could finally breathe.

“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,” Ramsey added.

There was another storyline woven into the afternoon. Stan Mills, playing for the first time since Ramsey confirmed he has agreed to join Preston North End in January, came off the bench and made an immediate impact, supplying the assist for the opener.

“The reception that he got [from the Oxford fans] was really pleasing and Stan deserves that,” said Ramsey. “He's been a player of high quality over the last few years and he deserves that moment with the fans today.”

A first win on the board, a new manager’s authority reinforced, and a departing talent still delivering in yellow: Oxford leave Stevenage with more than just three points. Next up is a trip to Huddersfield on Tuesday, 1 September, where Ramsey’s side will look to prove this was not just a one-off statement, but the start of a sustained push in League One.