Oxford Utd 1 West Ham Utd 0

West Ham's pre-season campaign suffered a setback at the Kassam Stadium as Sam Allardyce's side were beaten by a bunch of triallists.

United - admittedly under-strength themselves - suffered a second defeat of pre-season thanks to Deane Smalley's 36th minute strike.

Oxford - who play in League Two, the fourth tier of the English professional league - were making their first appearance of pre-season against a West Ham side who had already played three games (with a record of one win, one draw and a defeat).

However they were more than a match for the Hammers who featured established first team players such as Winston Reid, Kevin Nolan, Carlton Cole and Ricardo Vaz Te - as well as a smattering of youngsters and reserves.

Having won their first match of pre-season at Southend 72 hours ago, Allardyce must have been hoping that his players would push on and compliment that with a second successive win.

However the reality was far different as the Irons struggled to make inroads in the final third of the pitch and Oxford goalkeeper Ryan Clarke - the only player of theirs to last a full 90 minutes - was never seriously tested throughout the game.

In front of a decent-sized crowd of just under 5,000, the home side grabbed an unexpected win courtesy of 23-year-old reserve striker Smalley, who has enjoyed spells at clubs such as Oldham, Rochdale and Bradford already in his short career.

A Sean McGinty cross was half-cleared by new signing George McCartney, where it fell perfectly for the youngster who volleyed home from an acute angle to the delight of the majority of the crowd.

West Ham - who not unexpectedly looked the stronger of the two sides in the opening half hour failed produce an equaliser theraeafter despite the home side making ten changes at the break.

However the game did at least give Sam Allardyce the opportunity to have a closer look at one or two players on the fringes of his first team squad and give his team another oportunity to get themselves some much-needed match fitness.

Match facts: Oxford Utd 1 West Ham Utd 0

West Ham Utd: Henderson, Demel (Nasha 61), Spence, Reid (Wearen 61), McCartney (Taylor 46), Noble (Moncur 61), Nolan (Ruddock 61), O'Neil (Pollitt 61), Morrison (Turgott 61), Cole (Maynard 46), Vaz Te (Hall 61).

Subs not used: Larkins, Lletget.

Oxford Utd: Clarke, Batt (Boateng 46), Evans (Raynes 46), Wright (Tafazoli 46), McGinty (Capaldi 46), Heslop (Smith 46), Chapman (Forster-Caskey 46), McAllister (Harris 46), Pittman (Constable 46), Smalley (Rigg 46), Potter (Craddock 46).

Subs not used: Crocombe, Lynn, Long

Goals: Smalley (36).

Attendance: 4,708 (1,101 away fans).

* Image courtesy of No_Bursting_My_Bubbles