Oxford United's upcoming League One game away to Peterborough United has been called off because of players joining their national teams. The move came after a minimum of three Oxford players received international selection for the November window.
Ciaron Brown and Brodie Spencer, who play in defence, and midfielder Jamie McDonnell have been selected for Northern Ireland. Striker Mark Harris, the team's leading scorer this campaign with five goals in 11 appearances, is with Wales, and Kai Andrews is part of the Wales Under-21 setup. The club's postponement request was approved, so the match initially planned for Saturday 14 November at London Road will be played at a later date.
Tickets bought for the original fixture will be good for the rescheduled game, with the new date to be announced later. A similar situation occurred in September when several Oxford players were also on international duty.
The delay happens with Oxford United holding third place in League One, having earned 22 points from 11 matches, which puts them three points behind the leaders. They have not lost in their previous five outings, a sequence featuring three victories and two ties, most recently a 1-0 win over Stockport County on Tuesday 27 October where Harris scored the winner. This unbeaten run has contributed to a strong goal difference of plus nine, with 19 goals scored and only 10 conceded this season. They currently have two fewer matches played than several competitors. Their next scheduled match is at home against Cheltenham Town, but before that they face Barnsley away on Saturday 31 October. The team's good standing has been supported by reliable defending, with the goalkeeper recording several shutouts so far this season.
Background and full detail: bbc.co.uk
