Oxford united FC
Oxford United boss eyes rollercoaster relegation results
The U’s have lost their last two games 1-0 against Derby County and Wrexham, respectively, leaving them 22nd in the league and six points from safety.
Results elsewhere mean that Oxford now have to rely on Charlton Athletic, who are one place above them, to lose both their remaining fixtures whilst Bloomfield’s men must win their pair of matches.
“Let’s not be stupid,” the Yellows boss declared.
“I knew what was going on elsewhere. It’s something natural. You have WhatsApps coming through on your phone.”
On Wednesday night in the Championship, Charlton were defeated by Ipswich Town whilst Blackburn Rovers beat Sheffield United.
Rovers’ win meant that The U’s could have been sent down that evening, but Charlton’s failure to rescue anything from their game meant that Oxford still have a glimmer of hope.
“I was watching Middlesbrough-Sheffield Wednesday because I have to focus on the game Saturday afternoon,” Bloomfield confessed.
“As a football club, we know we’re relying on what happens elsewhere, but we have to be in control of our actions. Our actions have to be focusing on winning the game on Saturday afternoon.
“We’re still alive, so we have to win the game on Saturday. That’s what it comes down to.
“You have to win and you have to hope that things go through elsewhere. That’s the position we’re in right now.
“The fact we’re still in it with two games to go, we want to take it to the last game.
“Because the players, the supporters, deserve the opportunity to still be in the Championship next season.
“We’ve been, in my opinion, very close in the last two games. In two games, there’s not been a huge amount between either team. In both games, we’ve had opportunities ourselves.
“Our opponents have taken two, one in each game. We haven’t.
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“Whatever the scenario, we have to finish on a good note, in my opinion. We have to make sure that we attack the game.
“Whatever is going on elsewhere, we have to make sure that we play properly.”
United face a Wednesday team on Saturday who, despite their season-long struggles, have taken points off Charlton, Leicester City, and Coventry City in their last four matches.
“They’re a good team. I think you’ve seen just a gradual improvement over the whole season.
“There’s now a cohesion about them. There’s an understanding. They know exactly how they want to play.
“We’re going to have a stern test on Saturday afternoon.
“We have to make sure we’re ready because it’s far from a guarantee.”
Josh Windass scored for the visitors in the first half before The U’s piled on the pressure on in the second, but it was too little, too late.
Yellows defender Ciaron Brown was the subject of a penalty claim during the match which saw his whole shirt pulled off in the box, the referee opting not too give a foul.
“Well, if someone pulling someone’s shirt off their back isn’t shirt pulling, I don’t know what is,” Bloomfield confessed.
“I’ll be honest with you, the last few games [at the Kassam], especially in the second half, we saw it with Watford. The lad’s getting rugby tackled and it’s just normal behaviour now.
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“I just don’t know where the rules are for corners and defending in the box anymore. It just feels like anything goes these days.
“But in that instant, if pulling someone’s shirt off their back isn’t shirt pulling, then I’m kind of not sure how much more you can show it.”
A penalty decision would have given United a chance to rescue at least a point from the game as they head into the final two Championship games in 22nd and five points adrift of safety.
The U’s lost 1-0 to play-off chasing Wrexham last night thanks to Josh Windass’ goal in the first period.
The result came three days after another 1-0 defeat away at Derby County in which the Rams also scored the only goal of the game in the first 45 minutes.
After back-to-back defeats for the first time since early February, Oxford look destined for relegation with two Championship fixtures remaining.
“I don’t know,” Bloomfield replied when asked why his team has struggled in the opening half of the last two matches.
“I need to give it some consideration before the weekend because it felt like both games have been a bit tentative. In possession, there were too many turnovers in the first half in both games, so we just need to find some calm.
“We need to care about the situation, but we also need to be able to play the game.
“We need to find a freedom…because without that then you find you get tense and turn the ball over too many times.
Video thoughts as #OxfordUnited stare down the barrel of relegation to League One after defeat to Wrexham. 😖
Two games to go with hope almost completely gone, fate now out of The U’s hands.#oufc 🟡 pic.twitter.com/fRalCjuBZz
— malachi (@MalachiObrey) April 21, 2026
“It just felt like that’s happened two games in a row so we need to give it some consideration before the weekend.
“We’ve been beat in two games, two games where there’s not a huge amount in it by two good strikes outside the box.
“The boys gave it everything, especially second half.
“There’s never a doubt they give everything that they’ve got and we’re really frustrated they weren’t able to find that breakthrough.
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“We get the ball wide to Stan Mills and Aidomo Emakhu; we’re really attacking and obviously there’s loads of nearly moments and unfortunately one didn’t fall to us to be able to stick it away.
“It’s two games in a row where we’ve thrown everything at it in the second half. We feel like we could have deserved something out of both games but unfortunately we haven’t got anything from either.
“Our supporters are going to be disappointed. I totally understand that. I’m disappointed.
“We’re all feeling it right now. I think that’s entirely natural when you care about what you do so much and they care about their club so much.
“Where we are in the league is not comfortable. But it’s the reality and we have to deal with it.”
When asked whether he can keep Oxford in the second tier with two games left, Bloomfield replied: “We have to attack the game on Saturday and get the points on the board.
“Until we do that, it doesn’t matter what goes on elsewhere, we have to get our points on the board starting on Saturday.”
The relegation-fighting Yellows suffered another big blow to their Championship survival hopes, leaving them five points away from safety with two games left to play.
Matt Bloomfield’s men were poor on the first period before putting the pressure on late with 16 second-half shots, but failed to trouble the visiting goalkeeper.
The defeat came as Oxford celebrated 40 years since their historic Milk Cup victory, with their Wembley heroes and trophy paraded around the pitch at half-time.
Brief spells of possession came for both teams early on before Wrexham missed a big chance, Sam Smith putting wide a wicked cross into the box from close range.
Dominic Hyam headed a corner over the bar the before Windass fired wide from the edge of the box after taking on Michal Helik on the counter attack.
Video thoughts as #OxfordUnited stare down the barrel of relegation to League One after defeat to Wrexham. 😖
Two games to go with hope almost completely gone, fate now out of The U’s hands.#oufc 🟡 pic.twitter.com/fRalCjuBZz
— malachi (@MalachiObrey) April 21, 2026
It did not take much longer for the 32-year-old to get his goal, though, Smith playing the ball to Windass in the middle with the no.10 striking it low into the bottom left corner from the edge of the area.
Oxford’s first real chance came minutes later when Myles Peart-Harris’ ball in ran all the way to Stan Mills whose shot near the back post was blocked.
A late poke at goal from Callum Doyle was gathered by Jamie Cumming to end the first half.
Wrexham began the second half the stronger, though Helik saw a header caught by Ward, Cumming then pulling off a good save at the other end to deny a Wrexham header.
The addition of Aidomo Emakhu brought some much-needed pace to the left wing, his cross finding the head of Mills whose header was deflected over.
A good chance fell for Mark Harris who brought the ball down and fizzed it past the post from inside the area before Kieffer Moore was played in behind at the other end and saw an effort deflected over after a nick off Ciaron Brown.
Callum Doyle nodded the corner over at the back post before United began to put the pressure on.
Corners were won by Mills and Emakhu, with shouts for a penalty as Brown had his shirt completely hauled off in the box.
A volley from Emakhu flew over the bar before Helik also headed over.
The U’s Irish winger had one more go which was saved as the hosts fell to defeat.
Oxford: Cumming, Long (ter Avest 67), Helik, Brown, Spencer (Donley 88), Konak (Harris 67), McDonnell (Vaulks 56), Mills, Brannagan, Peart-Harris (Emakhu 56), Lankshear
Wrexham: Ward, Hyam, Scarr, Doyle, Dobson, Longman (Kabore 56), James, Rathbone (O’Brien 70), Thomason, Windass (Cleworth 90+3), Smith (Moore 71)
Bookings: Emakhu, Mills; Longman, Kabore
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