Following a draw against Sheffield Wednesday on Good Friday, Oxford United are now 13 games without a win. Despite that, Liam Manning remains unbeaten with three draws from his first three games.
Oxford United Weekly Round-Up: Winless Run Continues With Third Successive Draw
New Deals for Four Youngsters
On Thursday, the club announced that four of their promising youngsters have been given the chance to stay for an additional year.
Goalkeeper Fraser Barnsley, centre-back Erion Zabeli, defender George Franklin and winger Amari Davis-Stephenson had all been offered third-year scholarship contracts.
The quartet join Gatlin O’Donkor and Josh Johnson who were offered professional deals during their scholarships.
Head of academy Stevie Kinniburgh told the club’s official website: “Amari picked up an ACL injury in the final prepreseasonme last summer and has missed a year as a result, so the right thing to do was offer him a further year.
“Fraser has been excellent and George and Erion have been outstanding at the centre of the defence for the youth team, those three played a big part in them reaching the quarter-final of the FA Youth Cup for the first time in the club’s history.
“They all fully deserve their chance to push on next season and earn professional deals like Gatlin and Josh have already done.”
“At the same time, this has been a very tough week for us and we have had to let Ibby Sankoh and Enrique Tiamuna know that they will be released once they finish the education part of their scholarship.
“They are outstanding young men and can be very proud of what they have done here. We will help them with trials and give them all the help we can in whatever they choose to do next.”
Third Draw on the Bounce
Oxford’s winless run stretched to 13 games but the U’s held out for a third successive draw under Liam Manning.
League leaders Sheffield Wednesday were the visitors and took a deserved lead but Cameron Brannagan levelled from the spot to earn a point.
However, results elsewhere mean the U’s sit just one point clear of the bottom four ahead of a trip to Port Vale on Monday.
