EASTLEIGH boss Lee Bradbury believes his side will take something from their pre-season clash with League One Oxford United – despite falling to a heavy defeat.

Karl Robinson’s Us cruised to a 5-1 victory at the Silverlake Stadium, as Danny Whitehall’s consolation strike was sandwiched between a Marcus Browne brace in the first-half and goals from Steve Seddon, Cameron Brannagan, and trialist Jodi Jones in the second period.

Whilst Eastleigh were easily undone at times, they caused their higher league opponents multiple issues, with the final scoreline slightly exaggerating Oxford’s dominance.

Spitfires now face Oxford’s fierce rivals, Swindon Town, this Saturday, with Bradbury using the test against the League Two side as an exercise on playing without the ball.

Speaking to the Daily Echo after the Oxford defeat, Bradbury stated: “It was always going to be a tough game.

“Obviously, the two games we've chosen at this stage of pre-season is done for a purpose, and that's to work on our positions out of possession.

“How we press as a team, how we work as a team, and all the questions they pose us, how do we deal with them?

“We analyse that and we look at it as a group of coaches, we try and combat that. We're not going to come against any better footballing teams in the National League next year than Oxford.

“So if we can train hard to make it easy, as they say, I think that can only be a positive thing.”