OXFORD United Under 17s will aim to continue the academy’s unbeaten start to pre-season tonight.

The young U’s host Woking at the training ground, three days after a much-changed side drew 0-0 at Premier League outfit Aston Villa.

Tonight’s game is officially the first friendly solely for the Under 17s, but several players from that age group and below were deployed against the Midlands giants on Saturday.

United’s senior squad arranged an internal friendly at the training ground to make up for their cancelled fixture at Birmingham City, but with 12 senior players self-isolating a dozen academy members were used to make up the numbers.

It meant a mixture of first-year scholars, Under 16s and trialists were in action against Villa, with George Franklin, Fraser Barnsley, Amari Davis-Stephenson and Ibby Sankoh all impressing.

Academy manager Dan Harris told United’s official website: “If you look at the games we have played so far, we have had plenty of the ball so this was another kind of test altogether.

“We were resolute, resilient and showed a real sense of wanting to fight for the badge.

“The Under 16s really stepped up, but the scholars showed a bit of leadership as well.”

Match report: Banbury United 0, Oxford United 3

United’s Under 19s had opened pre-season with two 3-1 wins on the road, at North Leigh and Biggleswade.

An inexperienced side took to the field for last Wednesday’s first-team friendly at Banbury United, where a team consisting of nine teenagers recorded a 3-0 triumph.

This evening’s behind closed doors game against Woking is their only home pre-season match.

A mixture of Under 17s and Under 19s travel to Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, before a much shorter trip to Thame United a week today.