PREVIEW Oxford United v Wycombe Wanderers

Oxford United head for Wembley

13 July 2020

Oxford United and Wycombe Wanderers face each other at Wembley tonight with a place in the Sky bet Championship the prize for the winners.

TEAM NEWS
United have no new injury worries and the whole squad tested negative for covid-19 in the final round of testing conducted on Saturday.

There will be checks on entry to the stadium but United should be at full strength with no new injuries or suspensions after their semi-final victory against Portsmouth.

“We learned things from the first play-off game and we learned a bit about how far we could push ourselves" Karl Robinson told iFollow. "We didn’t know what we would have in the tank and we were surprised how fit we felt. Those games were never going to be pretty, the more games you play the more you get into your rhythm so we had to find a way of playing in those two games which went back to what people know.

"People have asked a lot about the styles of the two teams. That’s irrelevant. We are both right because we are both in the final. I have a lot of respect for Wycombe. We beat them 2-1 at home last season and we turned the music off in our dressing room because we didn’t feel it was right to be doing that because we were both in a relegation fight at that time. Another team did that to us when we went bottom of the league but we have more respect for others and we felt it was correct. Whatever happens on the pitch you can conduct yourself with respect and humility and we know both teams will do that in the lead up to the game.

"It’s hard for all of us tonight. We are going to the greatest stadium in England- other than Anfield! We grew up watching football and all of our memories will be games at Wembley. It is still the pinnacle of our game. I have walked up Wembley way with my daughter and with my dad. Our next generation of fans should be experiencing that.

"I am so excited even though I am trying to appear calm. We have a very good referee and we know decisions will be consistently correct so stay calm on the touchline and stay calm on the pitch. And at the end the opposition deserve your respect. We have conducted ourselves properly all season and we will do that again tonight."

THE OPPOSITION
'We could be finishing this season off upsetting the record books and hopefully rewriting the history books,' Wycombe boss Gareth Ainsworth told the Daily Mail

'It would be the first time Wycombe are in any sort of level like this and it would be a proud moment for me to lead them there. It's a huge game, the biggest game in the club's league history without a shadow of a doubt. We want to make sure we take this opportunity and grasp it with both hands.

'Every time I've been to Wembley it involves Wycombe Wanderers and this is number three and I've lost the other two so I'm hoping it's third time lucky.'

TICKETS

The game is behind closed doors and we once again ask all fans to respect the current situation and watch the game from afar.

FOLLOW IT LIVE
The game is live on Sky Sports with a 7.30pm kick off. Because the game is being broadcast live it is not allowed to be shown live on iFollow - overseas followers need to check whether the game is being broadcast where they live, although we will have full commentary from BBC Oxford Sport

We will also have coverage on Twitter and Instagram with a report and Gallery right here on the final whistle and reaction in iFollow asap.

Match Reports

REPORT Oxford United 1 Wycombe Wanderers 2

U's denied from the spot as Wycombe win promotion

13 July 2020

Oxford United will return to Northampton and Blackpool rather than Norwich and Blackburn next season after Wycombe Wanderers squashed their dreams of a place in the Championship with a 2-1 win at Wembley.

Trailing to an early Anthony Stewart header, United came back strongly and were level through a Mark Sykes cross-shot but were left to face another season in League 1 when Joe Jacobson fired Wanderers into the second tier from the penalty spot.

Much had been made of the contrasting styles of the two teams and United enjoyed far more of the ball for the entire 90 minutes but sometimes it is all about taking your chances.

Marcus Browne whistled an early effort over the bar as United pressed, but the danger was always going to be from set pieces and on nine minutes it was a dead ball that put the Chairboys ahead. Jacobson’s delivery was perfect, Stewart outjumped everyone at the back post and United were behind as the ball bounced over the line via the body of the sprawling Simon Eastwood.

Time to draw breath and regroup. Not for the first time this season United shrugged it off and kept doing the things they believe in.

They needed to find a balance between chasing the game and staying patient and Sam Long got forward well from right-back but couldn’t find a finish as their passing game started to click in to gear.

Building from the back and happy to move the ball from side to side, United enjoyed 72 per cent of the possession in the first half hour and were almost in on goal after 35 when the excellent Stewart got in a great block to stop the ball rolling to the unmarked Taylor from a Sykes pass across the six-yard box. Browne fired a near identical late effort over but United’were asking all the questions and raised the stakes even more when Alex Gorrin was replaced by Liam Kelly to try and find new angles.

It worked, but it was Sykes who found the decisive angle and nobody will ever persuade me he was crossing.

James Henry set it up with a wonderful rolled pass down the right and Sykes whipped the ball sharply up and over the stranded Ryan Allsop for 1-1. Nobody would deny that United deserved it, surely, and Sykes has been a revelation in the second half of the season.

Now United were all over Wycombe. Taylor was a toe-end from the lead, denied only by an undetected Stewart touch at the back post, Dickie had two thumping headers pushed away and the U's were looking dominant against a rocking Chairboys outfit.

And then disaster struck.

A long ball over the top which Elliott Moore ducked, hoping it would run through to Eastwood. Onyedinma had other ideas and, in typical fashion, had chased a lost cause. Eastwood came to meet him, his challenge was clumsy and Wycombe were in the lead from the spot as Jacobson rolled the spot kick to Eastwood's right.

It meant late drama; Taylor was unable to head home on 86 and all caution was thrown to the wind as the season boiled down to just one goal, one moment. Taylor was denied again, Dickie headed into the keeper's gloves but for once there was to be no late drama.

It wasn't to be but have no regrets. Good luck to Wycombe in the Championship but for the U's it has also been an incredible season full of thrilling football and amazing performances.

The club has its own training ground, it has invested in youth and women's football and there is so much to look forward to.

It will be the shortest summer ever known but Oxford United will be back. And they will be ready.

Report by Chris Williams, pictures by Steve Daniels, stats by OPTA

Match Reports

Standings