Oxford united FC
Stoppage time costs Oxford United in relegation battle
The Yellows were relegated to League One last weekend ahead of their 4-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday in which Will Lankshear scored an impressive brace, Will Vaulks and Myles Peart-Harris also getting on the scoresheet.
After a strong run of games which saw The U’s defeated only once in eight games, losses to Derby County and Wrexham proved the killer blow to their survival hopes.
A messy pre-season, lack of consistency and poor start to the campaign all proved factors in United’s struggle but one than data has highlighted is the late dropping of points in matches.
It has not happened on many occasions against Oxford, but if all Championship games so far this campaign were to have ended on the stroke of 90 minutes, The U’s would have retained their second-tier status.
An early example of this happening against The U’s was back in August when they were defeated 3-2 away at Hull City under Gary Rowett.
Rowett’s men had found themselves at 2-2 after just 26 minutes and were holding on for a draw in East Yorkshire.
However, experienced striker Oli McBurnie had other ideas, finding a winner in the 93rd minute to break U’s hearts.
The most significant late disappointment, though, came more recently against relegation rivals Charlton Athletic in March.
A good performance and a first penalty in 675 days had seen Oxford lead 1-0 at the Kassam, Cameron Brannagan tucking away the long-awaited spot kick.
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Late pressure came from the Addicks and a moment of weakness from centre back Ciaron Brown saw the Northern Ireland international pull Charlton defender Lloyd Jones to the floor in the penalty box.
Charlie Kelman stepped up in the 93rd minute to rescue a point for Nathan Jones’ side, snatching two from the grasp of Matt Bloomfield’s men.
Charlton went on to be the closest rival to Oxford on the penultimate match day of the season, their draw against Hull last weekend seeing them climb out of The Yellows’ reach.
The late draw that the Addicks rescued in March is made all the more significant as, if stoppage time were not included this season, Charlton would be sitting in the relegation zone and six points worse off across the campaign.
The U’s would have one extra point, according to data from OLBG – each team’s position was calculated by taking away their goals scored in stoppage time and after the 75th minute in each respective game – and be out of the bottom three in 21st place.
The U’s had their relegation confirmed on Saturday ahead of their 4-1 victory over Sheffield Wednesday and are set to return to the third tier of English football after two seasons in the Championship.
Head coach Matt Bloomfield admitted after the weekend’s win that preparations for next season would begin imminently and is has been reported by reporter Pete O’Rourke that The Yellows are set to battle Portsmouth for the signing of Villa starlet O’Reilly.
The 22-year-old has spent the current campaign on loan at League Two outfit Crewe Alexandra, netting seven goals and securing 11 assists in 45 fourth-tier appearances.
Crewe currently sit in 10th place in the division, 10 points away from the play-off places.
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O’Reilly endured his first loan spell away in 2024 at Villa’s sister club Real Union in Spain, but only managed two appearances as his six-month spell in the second half of 2023/24 was curtailed by injury.
He then spent six months in League One with struggling Shrewsbury before spending the second half of the 2024/25 campaign in League Two with MK Dons.
The attacking midfielder was been compared to Manchester City and England star Phil Foden by teammates at Villa due to his playing style, as well as drawing similarities to former Arsenal man and current Luton Town manager Jack Wilshere.
The U’s travel to The Den to face The Lions in their final second-tier match before returning to League One next season.
After having their relegation confirmed before kick-off due to earlier results elsewhere, Oxford beat Sheffield Wednesday 4-1 last time out.
United travel to South East London with nothing left to play for whilst their opponents will be looking to secure automatic promotion to the Premier League on the final day.
Alex Neil’s men currently sit third in the table and one point away from second-placed Ipswich Town, but Matt Bloomfield’s side will be trying to cause an upset as they aim to bow out of the Championship in style.
With all matches in the second division set to kick off at 12:30, two have selected for television coverage with The U’s game being one.
Oxford’s trip to Millwall will be shown live on Sky Sports Football, as Ipswich’s home clash with Queens Park Rangers will also be available on Sky Sports.
United are set to return to League One after two seasons in the Championship after being the third and final club to have relegation confirmed.
Leicester City and Sheffield Wednesday will join The Yellows in the third tier next season.
The U’s ran out 4-1 winners at the Kassam on Saturday in their final home game of the Championship season and only moments before Matt Bloomfield’s team had their relegation to League One confirmed thanks to results elsewhere.
In a clash between two already relegated sides, Will Lankshear scored a stylish brace before Will Vaulks bagged a third for The Yellows.
17-year-old Will Grainger pulled one back for Wednesday before Myles Peart-Harris scored Oxford’s fourth goal a minute later.
With their fate already decided, United played with attacking freedom and seemingly a weight off their shoulders, catching The Owls off guard.
“We had not expected that they would play so many short passes,” Pedersen confessed after the match.
“Normally it’s a very direct team with a lot of long balls.
“Today they played very few long balls and there was a big freedom for them. So our pressing in first half was not how we want to be from the intensity but also tactically.
“I think, in the second half, we had control for our pressing, we made some adjustments and there was also more intensity in second half for our pressing and we also created chances too.
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“But of course, when you conceded four goals, then it’s also difficult to win. So today we didn’t deserve it.
“We were honest, we were not prepared that they will play so much on the ground. We were prepared for how they have played the last many games, much more direct. They normally have the ball less and we were prepared for a more direct game, a second ball game.
“So the priority to be good on the second ball instead of in the first pressing is a great problem for us and we changed this.
“We tried to change to the first half, it was better the last 15-20 minutes and then I think we solved it for the second half when we changed things in the second half. So in the second half, our pressing was much, much better and much more controlled.
“But one thing is the formation, the other thing is the intensity and the collective relation you put in and it was not good enough in the first half.”
Oxford look ahead to the final day of the regular Championship season this Saturday with a trip to automatic promotion chasing Millwall.
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