Oxford united FC
Will Lankshear condemns Oxford United after Pompey draw
The striker, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, scored his 10th goal of the season to put Oxford ahead 2-1 in the 81st minute at Fratton Park, but an Andre Dozzell equaliser snatched two points from the U’s grasp with three minutes to go.
United should have beaten Hull City in their last match after creating good chances but only managed a draw, and it was only four games ago that the Yellows forfeited a win to draw with Charlton Athletic in similar circumstances.
“It’s a very tough place to come so I think if you offer us a draw before the game, of course we want to win the game, but I think we’ll take it,” said a dejected Lankshear after the game on Easter Monday.
“Just the way the game went with the sending off and the chances we had, I thought we played pretty well.
“I also feel like, you know, why it hurts so much is for me, I think there’s just been one too many games this season where that’s happened. And it’s very disappointing.
“I think it’s just one too many games.
“That’s kind of been the story of our season. We’ve just sort of come up short in a lot of the games.
“But we’ve got to dust ourselves off and keep positive and go into the last five games.
“Because at the end of the day, we didn’t lose. And I think that’s the main thing. We’ve still got a point on the board.”
The 20-year-old’s header saw him reach double figures for goals in all competitions this season.
Video thoughts after the crazy early kick-off between #OxfordUnited and #Pompey… 💭
Chatting about the red card decisions, dropping points, conceding early, and looking ahead 👀#oufc 🟡 pic.twitter.com/0frvioI4qB
— malachi (@MalachiObrey) April 6, 2026
“Hopefully I can get a few more,” Lankshear continued.
“I think I’m going to need a few more if we’re going to stay up.
“I’m going to keep pushing and keep going and keep scoring goals. Because that’s my passion. That’s what I’m here to do.
“I’m really happy that I could score today. And just disappointing that it wasn’t the winning goal.”
READ MORE: Portsmouth boss on ‘strange’ Oxford United controversy
READ MORE: Oxford United draw with Portsmouth in lively relegation clash
READ MORE: Oxford United boss makes crowd remark after Pompey draw
Teammate Brodie Spencer scored his first goal for the club, with Lankshear revealing he had a sense that the Northern Irishman’s moment would come against Pompey.
“I’m buzzing for Brodie.
“I know that he’s been really working hard to score his first goal for Oxford. And I think he’s been a brilliant player for us this season.
“I did actually tell him yesterday, although he doesn’t remember it apparently, I did say that he was going to score, I felt like he was going to score.
“I’m really happy for him”
The U’s remain under a temporary transfer embargo which sees them banned from registering any new players until they prove their compliance with the EFL’s Squad Cost Management Protocol (SCMP) regulations.
Oxford brought in one new player prior to the embargo being confirmed, with former Heart of Midlothian centre back joining on a free transfer.
He, however, has suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury which will keep the 30-year-old side-lined for a number of months.
Meanwhile, United’s league rivals are making sure to strengthen ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.
The headline transfer news in the third-tier this week has been the loan transfer of Tommy Watson to Leicester City from Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion.
Watson joins on a season-long loan deal after just a year at Brighton having arrived from Sunderland last summer.
The 20-year-old scored the winning goal which saw the Black Cats beat Sheffield United in the 2024/25 Championship play-off final at Wembley despite already agreeing a £10 million move to the south coast.
He played just 10 times for the Seagulls and spent the second half of last season at Millwall.
Watson now drops down to the third tier in an attempt to help Leicester bounce back to the Championship after relegation alongside the U’s last term.
Elsewhere, MK Dons have continued to make waves in the window by bringing in former Middlesbrough winger Sam Silvera.
The newly-promoted Dons have brought in the winger on a free transfer after he was released by Boro at the end of last season.
It is another statement signing for Paul Warne’s side, with the Australian a first-choice name for the Teessiders last season until injury curtailed his season.
READ MORE: Oxford United boss Aaron Ramsey credits Arsene Wenger
READ MORE: Will Vaulks leaves Oxford United to join Tranmere Rovers
The 25-year-old scored eight goals in 65 appearances for Boro.
Most recently, Oxford have seen Will Vaulks leave for League Two club Tranmere Rovers from whose academy he graduated.
The 32-year-old departs after two years at the club, playing 88 times.
Oxford’s first opponents of the season, Leyton Orient who they face in the Carabao Cup on Saturday, are in the midst of a fight to keep hold of star striker Dom Ballard.
The 21-year-old, who scored 23 goals and managed five assists in League One last year, is the target of Championship club Bristol City who are reportedly making a final push to sign the striker.
The Robins have offered £5 million for Ballard’s services, according to reporter Alan Nixon, with the O’s having held firm but are resigned to losing the prolific goal scorer.
Other moves in the division see Ollie Cooper join Notts County on loan from Swansea City and Stockport County sign Luca Ashby-Hammond after leaving Plymouth Argyle.
The 35-year-old was appointed into his first head coach role in June, taking over at United from Matt Bloomfield after retiring from professional football in April.
Ramsey has enjoyed a successful start to his tenure in OX4 so far, securing four wins from four pre-season fixtures, including a 2-0 victory over Premier League side Ipswich Town.
The former Gunners midfielder has also had to manage the squad amidst a temporary transfer ban which sees Oxford unable to register any new player until they prove compliance with the EFL’s Squad Cost Management Protocol (SCMP) regulations.
The ex-Wales international played under some world-renowned managers during his successful playing career in the likes of Wenger, Aston Villa boss Unai Emery and former Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri.
“Arsene was a huge part of the success that I had as a player,” the Yellows head coach detailed after the pre-season win over Ipswich.
“And obviously, I took so much from him as well, from the manager side of things.
“But I’ve been very lucky and blessed to have played for some really good managers over the years, which I’ve taken little bits from as well.
“So, yes, I wouldn’t just say it’s all him, but definitely he’s formed part of that.”
Similarly to Wenger, Ramsey possesses a calm demeanour on the touchline, more often than not on the edge of his technical area with the occasional instruction directed at a player or the team as a whole.
READ MORE: Will Vaulks leaves Oxford United to join Tranmere Rovers
READ MORE: Aaron Ramsey emphasises importance of Oxford United’s Stan Mills
He is visibly calm and contemplative, something which he himself acknowledges.
“I think that’s me as a player, though. I’ve always been quite calm and comfortable in situations. So for me, that’s the way that I am.
“And I want my players to feel that and to feel like they can go out there and express themselves.
“So, yes, when they play like that [against Ipswich], it does make it a lot easier for me on the side lines.
“I think we need to be confident in what we’re trying to do for us to be able to really showcase exactly what we can do.
“It’s that confidence which is important without stepping over the line, but we need to embrace that.”
The U’s begin their campaign this Saturday with a Carabao Cup clash with League One rivals Leyton Orient.
Ramsey will be hoping his side can take the confidence and impressive performances from pre-season into the competitive campaign.
League action begins a week later, with the Yellows hosting newly-promoted MK Dons at the Kassam on the opening day.
The U’s return to the third tier after a two-year stay in the Championship, suffering relegation last term with a 22nd-placed finish under Matt Bloomfield.
The club revealed their new home strip last month and have worn it twice during pre-season when they beat Crawley Town 3-1 and Ipswich Town 2-0 at the Kassam Stadium.
Oxford’s away kit was released with a video on social media titled ‘Performance Inspires’, the shirt being inspired by Oxford’s performing arts, with a ballet performance filmed at Oxford New Theatre.
The video is soundtracked by a reimagined take on Oxford band Foals’ song ‘What Went Down’.
The shirt is available to buy online and in-store.
-
Business & Technology3 weeks agoHSBC UK & Visa test AI shopping with live payments
-
Business & Technology3 weeks agoValarian lands USD $50 million backing for sovereign AI
-
Business & Technology4 weeks agoMouser warns against viral hacks to cool overheating phones
-
Oxford News4 weeks agoNew romantasy bookshop attracts queues of customers
-
Business & Technology4 weeks agoSNP & Palantir launch AI tools for SAP transformations
-
Business & Technology4 weeks agoKane tops England influencer rankings after Mexico win
-
Traffic & Transport4 weeks ago‘I felt my spine and body split’: the woman who was hit by a child on a Lime bike – and denied compensation | Ebikes
-
Oxford News4 weeks agoDWP now checking bank accounts for Universal Credit and Pension Credit