JON Meades tonight marked his long-awaited return to fitness with two goals for Oxford United’s development squad.

The midfielder struck the first of two penalties after just three minutes in a 5-0 win against Oxford University at Iffley Road, where goalkeeper Max Crocombe also returned from injury.

Meades, 22, was mobbed by delighted teammates after scoring and was thrilled to be playing for the first time since sustaining a serious ankle injury last July.

He said: “It’s been a long time and sometimes you think you’ll never come back, so just to be out there playing feels really good.

“I was just hoping to get through it, but to get a couple of goals is really nice.”

Josh Shama made it 2-0 at half-time, then Meades won and converted another spot kick.

Tyrone Marsh and Aidan Hawtin also struck late on in the hour-long game, which saw youth team coach Chris Allen and video analyst Dan Bond get late run-outs.

It came after the first Town v Gown game ended with United’s women winning 7-1 against their university counterparts.

Lauren Allison hit a hat-trick, while Helen King, Lindsay Pinker, Ella Franklin-Fraiture and Katie Stanley also scored. Tina Gough netted the hosts’ consolation.

United: Crocombe, Welch-Hayes, Bevans, Long, Grant (Bond 50), Humphreys (Allen 50), Hawtin, Meades, O'Dowda, Shama, Marsh.