Oxford United 2 Bury 1

It was my first visit to the Kassam on Saturday and I was very impressed with Oxford.

Make no mistake, Bury are going to be a side to be reckoned with this season and have some excellent players. The off the filed financial nightmare that threatened to sink the club last term has gone and, in Kevin Blackwell, they have a manager who has more than enough experience to compete in League Two.

Johnny Mullins, 25, said that "it probably wasn't very pretty to watch" when I spoke to him after the game. And while he was right, there were so many positives to take from the game that I'm sure most Us fans will forgive them for not knocking the ball about like Barcelona!

My piece from the Sunday paper

Mullins himself was the match winner, but I also thought his partnership with Jake Wright looked good and can only get better. I caught both Oxford goals on my mobile and so have posted them here. Not quite television quality, but for any fans who have missed the goals, they might provide a little flavour of the afternoon's entertainment.

Johnny Mullins's goal

Ryan Clarke stood firm behind the central defensive duo and he must be among the best keepers in this division. And the central midfield pairing of Andy Whing and Danny Rose worked well together.

Having not seen Rose play before, I assumed that Whing would be the enforcer and leave the tippy-tappy stuff to Rose. Not a bit of it. Former Manchester United reserve skipper Rose, 25, got up and down the pitch, put in a great shift for the team and even got in two blocks to shut out the Shakers in the twelfth minute.

Danny Rose's opener

There is no doubt that Whing's experience helps though and I'm still convinced that Oxford would have gone up last season if it hadn't been for his injuries. He's a wholehearted player -the sort fans love.

Finally, a special shout-out for Deane Smalley. This has got to be the best performance I've seen from him and it was no coincidence that he was fouled in the build up to both goals. He put himself about as though possessed.

I won't bother turning this into an Oxford 'love-in' and mention all the players, but each one contributed to this victory and - if they keep working this hard for each other and stay clear of injuries - there should be a few happy people in and around the Kassam come May.

My piece from today's edition