The Telegraph has reported that West Bromwich Albion are accused of breaching the English Football League’s profit and sustainability regulations.

This reportedly happened last season and so any points deduction must happen this season, in a potential boost to Oxford United’s survival hopes.

Two points currently separate West Brom in 20th and Oxford in 22nd, with both sides having four games remaining to play.

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The U’s boosted their survival hopes on Saturday, April 11, with a 2-0 victory at the Kassam Stadium against Watford while West Brom drew 0-0 at home to Millwall on the same day.

Already, Leicester City, three points behind Oxford in 23rd, have received a points deduction, losing six points for breaching spending rules.

Cameron Brannagan (right) battles with Josh Maja (left) for the ball (Image: Oxford United)

The Foxes were hit with the deduction in February as a punishment for breaching the EFL’s profit and sustainability rules by £20.8 million in a three year period to June 2024.

The club was also found guilty of breaching Premier League rules during their time in the top tier of English football for failing to provide their annual accounts to the league by the specified deadline.

Recommended by an independent commission, last week the penalty was upheld after the club appealed the decision.

According to The Telegraph, West Brom are not thought to have breached the rules significantly, however a points deduction, along with a transfer ban or fine remain a possibility.

In March they reported an operating loss of £17 million although that is not a definitive figure for the profit and sustainability regulations and they have two weeks to respond to the charge.

Matt Bloomfield watches on as Oxford United beat West Bromwich Albion (Image: Oxford United)

In addition, the West Midlands club is reportedly attempting to delay any punishment until next season so that it does not impact a closely-fought relegation battle involving six teams from Charlton Athletic in 18th to Leicester in 23rd.

Sheffield Wednesday, who are bottom in The Championship, have already been relegated.

West Brom’s next match is this Saturday, April 18, away to Preston North End. Meanwhile, Oxford United play away to Derby County on the same day.

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The U’s survival hopes received a major boost over the weekend as Myles Peart-Harris scored in the first half to put the Yellows ahead before a late strike from Mark Harris secured the three points.

Manager Matt Bloomfield said: “It was crucial today, especially considering the magnitude of the situation that we’re in.

“We have to try and maximise every opportunity, but we’re certainly not getting carried away. We’re still below the line.”

The striker came off the bench with just minutes remaining and won the ball in the visitors’ half before firing emphatically past the Hornets’ goalkeeper.

Harris’ goal secured a massive three points in the U’s quest for Championship survival after Myles Peart-Harris had put the hosts ahead in the first half.

“Huge,” the Wales international emphasised after the game.

“Going off the two games we played over Easter, as a team we thought we should have had six points. We didn’t lose the games – if you can’t win, don’t lose.

Mark Harris fires Oxford United to a 2-0 win over Watford (Image: Oxford United)

“Coming into this game, we knew how much of a big game it was and we’ve gone out there, put a performance and got the three points and that’s what we need at the minute.

“Where we are in the league, last 10 minutes and still 1-0, anything can happen in the Championship, but I thought we defended excellently from the front today.

“Will Lankshear, Jamie Donley, both wide men, all as a team I thought they were excellent.

Myles Peart-Harris wheels away after scoring for Oxford United (Image: Oxford United)

“It was nice to have a game where we were 1-0 up and just keeping them in their half, not just defending all game. To get the second goal was nice because then you can take a breather and see the three points over the line.”

Harris had a lot of time and space on the ball after winning it high up and was able to pick out the bottom corner in style.

He explained: “To be honest, I thought I was a bit too wide, but once I got the second touch on the ball I could just see the goal, so it was just hit it and hope. Get it across the face of goal and hopefully it goes in, and it did so happy days.

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Mark Harris celebrates scoring against Watford (Image: Oxford United)

“Today was brilliant and I’m buzzing. Hopefully now we can kick on, four more games, get as many points as we can and let’s see where it leaves us.”

The Welshman was also refreshing when asked if Portsmouth’s late winner at Middlesbrough hurt to see.

“I’m not going to lie and say no it doesn’t because it does,” Harris admitted.

“They’re down there with us and we want to be above the bottom three so we’re obviously going to look at results. But it’s down to us to take care of our own job. If we keep winning, we’ll be fine.”

Oxford now sit 22nd in the league, one point from safety.

Myles Peart-Harris and Mark Harris scored the goals to defeat the Hornets at the Kassam and maintain their survival push going into the final four games of the Championship season.

The U’s were the better team on the day, looking more dangerous in forward areas and keeping the visitors as arm’s length for the vast majority of the game.

“We haven’t been good enough, basically,” Still summarised.

“The performance there, we haven’t matched Oxford in terms of aggression, in terms of adapting to this type of game at this moment of the season.

Watford manager Edward Still (Image: Steven Paston/PA Wire)

“Everything becomes more intense, more power-based, and we haven’t been able to deal with it well enough and to lose the game on a set-piece, second ball, a very similar goal to what we’ve conceded against Charlton only a few days ago, and then for it to be killed off by a mistake at the end there is extremely frustrating.

“It makes you angry and all the rest of those negative emotions.

“I think everybody had that feeling that we haven’t been able to match them and to create a sufficient amount of moments in the game where we could dictate the play,” the brother of former Southampton boss, Will Still, continued.

Oxford United’s Stan Mills battles for the ball (Image: Oxford United)

“There’s been a period in the first half, there’s been a period in the second half, but overall it’s not enough.

“They’ve just exploited their strengths to the utmost. Taking that set-piece goal early on and the pitch, with the bobbly pitch that it is, the wind as it is, all of those factors, they’ve dealt with everything and done much better than what we have.”

Matt Bloomfield celebrates Oxford United’s win over Watford (Image: Oxford United)

After the win, Matt Bloomfield’s Oxford move up a place to 22nd in the table, Gary Rowett’s Leicester City having been defeated by Swansea City at home, and one point from safety.

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Rivals Portsmouth pulled off a dramatic 1-0 win in the dying moments at the Riverside Stadium against Middlesbrough to keep themselves a singular point above the U’s.

United have a week to prepare for their next match, a trip to Derby County who were beaten by Saints at the weekend.

There is hope that Jack Currie will be well enough to return to the squad after it was confirmed that he would undergo surgery on his ankle at the end of the season.

Nik Prelec, who rolled his ankle last week in training and missed the Watford win, is also hopeful for the journey to Pride Park.