A 20th minute free-kick from Oxford captain Sahara Osborne-Ricketts was enough to give the home side a narrow victory in their opening match of the season against Watford. The defender turned set-piece specialist, netting against her former employers and on the eve of her 24th birthday.
Oxford were without two key players due to illness, last season’s top scorer Lauren Allison and Amy Chivers. Their replacements contributed well though and United thought they had doubled their lead midway through the first half when Gemma Simmonds had the ball in the net, only for the assistant referee to rule it out for offside.
Watford, who finished 7th in last season’s WSL2 were always in the game and will probably feel unlucky to have gone back to Hertfordshire with nothing. Kim Farrow was unable to reach a loose ball inside the box on 15 minutes and Dawn Mallett tested Demi Lambourne in the Oxford goal with a long-range effort towards the end of the first half.
Oxford had a great chance to double their lead straight after the break, Simmonds again the danger, but this time Watford keeper Burgess did well to save the stinging volley.
The visitors grew in confidence as the second half progressed, gaining the majority of possession. Kate Natkiel had two chances to bring her side level but couldn’t convert either. The second required a quick response from Lambourne to block the attacker’s attempted lob after a lovely ball through from Chloe Gunn.
With 20 minutes left the hosts thought they had put the game beyond reach, but an Oxford player was adjudged to have fouled the keeper in the process of bundling the ball over the line. The golden girls pressed and sent Renee Hector forward as they searched for an equaliser.
United held on, and Osborne-Richards might have added to her earlier effort late on. The defender, who clearly has been practising her set-pieces in preseason, saw one fly just over the top and a second rattle the cross bar in stoppage time.
Watford will hope to record their first league win at home to Aston Villa on Saturday, which will be played at Vicarage Road with a reported 600 tickets already sold. Meanwhile, Oxford will aim to maintain their unbeaten start when they travel to Durham on Sunday.
