Oxford united FC
Matt Bloomfield dedicates Oxford United win to Amelia Aplin
The U’s beat Rovers 1-0 at the Kassam on Wednesday night thanks to Jamie Donley’s first-half strike and maiden goal for the club.
Yellows boss Bloomfield honoured Amelia, who tragically passed away last weekend at the age of 15, after the victory.
“It’s very bittersweet,” the 42-year-old said.
“What we wanted to do tonight, above anything else, is make sure we pay tribute to Amelia and her family in the correct manner, with the dignity and respect that she deserved, and they deserved.
“For her teammates and her parents to join us on the pitch for the minute’s silence and our supporters observed it immaculately, both sets of supporters, so thank you to them for that.
“Tonight was about dedicating the evening to Amelia.
“She’ll live forever in our hearts.
“I hope her family will be friends of the football club forever.
Applause at the 15-minute mark for Amelia Aplin. 💛 #oufc 🟡 pic.twitter.com/WCCw0FllJ6
— malachi (@MalachiObrey) March 11, 2026
“We had to make sure we paid the best respects we possibly could to such a devastating loss for her family.
“The last few days have been tough because football pales in significance in a moment like this because human life is far more important and family losing a daughter and teammates losing a friend is far more important.
READ MORE: Oxford United striker snubbed Middlesbrough and Ipswich Town
“We wanted to perform with respect and perform properly to show the best light of ourselves on such an important evening for us.
“I don’t want to understate how important the game was for us, but in those circumstances it’s a distant second. But we’ve got a really important season that we want to go and execute.
HUGE win over Blackburn for Oxford United who are now only in the relegation zone in goal difference. 👏#oufc 🟡 pic.twitter.com/AmaLCmGTrJ
— malachi (@MalachiObrey) March 11, 2026
READ MORE: Oxford United boss and captain pay tribute to Amelia Aplin
“I didn’t want to let Amelia and her family down with a poor performance and not do her justice, so it was really important that we tried to put the two together which I think we did.”
Oxford’s admirable performance at the Kassam sees them climb to 22nd in the Championship table, level on points with Leicester City above them and only in the relegation zone on goal difference.
READ MORE: Oxford United beat Blackburn Rovers to extend winning run
With three consecutive wins under their belt for the first time in over a year, Bloomfield’s team are all of a sudden in with a real chance of staying up this season and carry unique momentum going into the final nine games.
“The table will be as it is at the end of the season, we have to just keep going after our work, concentrating on the performances,” Bloomfield added.
“We have to…play the games that are in front of us, not the perception of the situation of the table or anything else.”
Oxford United travel to face Mansfield Town in League One as they look to extend their unbeaten streak to five games.
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Peter Kioso and Gatlin O’Donkor both received second yellow cards as Aaron Ramsey’s men survived a late onslaught from the Stags.
Luka Lynch’s first ever goal in professional football put Oxford ahead in the first half Michael Smith found a deserved Mansfield equaliser.
The hosts had Oxford pinned back in the opening stages, a shot from Nathan Moriah-Welsh getting blocked by teammate Jon Russell.
Mark Harris glanced a Louie Sibley free kick wide with his head in response, before a stretching Rhys Oates could not quite meet a lethal low ball in.
Mansfield kept pushing then, Michal Helik recovering to stop Smith in the box.
A first save from Jamie Cumming tipped the ball wide four minutes before Russell and Deji Oshilaja both saw efforts blocked.
Another Russell dig was held by the U’s goalkeeper as United weathered the storm.
With 34 minutes on the clock, Lynch showed his quality to cut inside and bend a perfect shot into the top left corner from the edge of the penalty area and put the Yellows ahead against the run of play.
The Stags hit back when Cameron Brannagan gave the ball away in his own box leading to Russell putting the ball over with time on his side.
Nigel Clough’s side kept up their pressure but could not find the net before the break.
The hosts picked up where they left off with a blocked effort from Stephen McLaughlin and a curling shot wide from Oates.
Substitute O’Donkor had a poke at goal saved as the U’s grew into the second half before Oates broke away but was stopped impressively by Peter Kioso in the box.
That is when the wheels began falling off, Kioso receiving a second yellow for an alleged dive in the box.
Frazer Blake-Tracy out a cross over the crossbar before the equaliser came, Smith bundling into the net after Cumming failed to deal with another cross.
It went from bad to worse then, O’Donkor seeing red after a clumsy slide challenge saw him also receive a second yellow.
Mansfield battered the Oxford box in the final few minutes, the U’s managing to hold out for what proved to be a valuable point.
Stags: L Roberts, Hewitt (Maris 80), Sweeney (Blake-Tracy 74), Russell (Hendry 74), Smith, Thompson, Oates, Moriah-Welsh (T Roberts 61), Oshilaja, Reed, Abbott (McLaughlin 46)
Yellows: Cumming, Kioso, Brown, Helik, Spencer, Brannagan, Andrews, Sibley (O’Donkor 59), Lynch (Missanga 59), Harris (Currie 78), Dembele (Long 80)
Bookings: Moriah-Welsh, Russell; Kioso, O’Donkor
Red cards: Kioso, O’Donkor
Oxford United travel to face Mansfield Town in League One as they look to extend their unbeaten streak to five games.
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