English club Oxford United kicked off their New England tour on Tuesday night with a 2-1 victory over the Seacoast United Mariners at Thornton Academy in Saco, Maine. Oxford plays in the fourth division of English soccer (League Two), while the Mariners play in what\u2019s often considered the fourth division of American soccer (NPSL).<\/p>\n
The match \u2013 played in front of a crowd of over 600 \u2013 is the first of three this summer in New England for Oxford, who face the New Hampshire-based Seacoast United Phantoms on Friday night at 7 p.m. at Portsmouth High School in Portsmouth, NH. The Us also play a New England PDL\/NPSL All-Star team, dubbed the Jim Dedeus XI on Monday, July 30, at 7 p.m. also at Portsmouth High School.<\/p>\n
Oxford opened the scoring on Tuesday from the penalty spot in the 40th minute. England U-18 international Jake Forster-Caskey \u2013 an 18-year-old on loan at the Us from Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. \u2013was fouled in the box and the referee awarded the spot-kick. Deane Smalley calmly converted from the spot to put the visitors up 1-0 going into halftime.<\/p>\n
Mariners\u2019 goalkeeper Will Pike, a St. Joseph\u2019s College of Maine product and Gorham, Maine native, and Oxford \u2018keeper Ryan Clarke each made two saves apiece before Oxford\u2019s 23-year-old Sean Rigg volleyed in a cross from Damien Batt for what would prove to be the game winner.<\/p>\n
Seacoast would find a late consolation goal in the 87th through Nick George, a junior at Maine Maritime Academy and a Bangor native.<\/p>\n