PREVIEW Portsmouth v Oxford United

A full guide to the Sky Bet League 1 play-off semi final first leg

3 July 2020

Oxford United head for Portsmouth at 5.30pm today for the Sky Bet League 1 play-off semi final first leg

TEAM NEWS
United have no new injury worries and the whole squad tested negative for covid-19 meaning that they should be at full strength at Fratton Park.

Loanees Ben Woodburn, Marcus Browne, Matty Taylor and Liam Kelly are all available although Nathan Holland returned to West Ham earlier in Lockdown. The one question still to be answered is whether Rob Hall is available but this now seems unlikely despite earlier hopes that he could be eligible after returning from his loan at Forest Green.

The Gaffer

Show Your Colours

THE OPPOSITION

Portsmouth boss Kenny Jackett told the official Portsmouth site:

“We are delighted to have the opportunity to be able to get into the Championship. It's what we have worked so hard for this season and now we are there."

“There was obviously a little bit of a delay with Sky Bet League One sorting itself out, but we understand that and we are really looking forward to getting back playing. Ourselves and Oxford had exactly the same points in the final league standings, and if you look from maybe 2nd to 11th it has been really tight in League One.”

It’s well over a year since Portsmouth lost at home but an empty Fratton Park will present a new test for Jackett’s side

“The fans always help us, we have fantastic fans that always contribute to our performance. The reason we are where we are this season is because of them,” he said. “We’ll have to adapt of course because they won’t be at Fratton Park cheering us on, but whoever adapts the best to behind closed doors football will come out on top.

“We are very aware of the quality that Oxford have in their ranks, they are a very good outfit and I don’t think you can really pinpoint one threat because they have so many. But we have quality and strengths as well, and we have to make sure that we play to our maximum and concentrate on ourselves."

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 5.30pm kick off. Because both play-off games are being broadcast live they are not allowed to be shown on iFollow live - 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 and the Match Live on this site with a report and Gallery right here on the final whistle.

Match Previews

Match Reports

REPORT Portsmouth 1 Oxford United 1

Browne strike leaves play-off level after the first leg

3 July 2020

A Marcus Browne goal means that both Oxford United and Portsmouth have all to play for in Monday's second leg of the Sky Bet League 1 play-offs.

Browne's superb run and strike just before half time pulled the U's back on level terms after Ronan Curtis had given the home side an early lead, but both sides will be relatively happy to be going into the return tie level.

Perhaps understandably, United took time to shake off the rust and there was an early scare when winger Curtis drilled a low shot against the left-hand post after six minutes, before centre-halves Christian Burgess and Sean Raggett got in each other’s way and a decent headed chance went wide of the mark.

United dug in, refused to concede an early goal and the first drinks break gave them a chance to regroup and try to get on the ball more for the second quarter; it didn’t quite work out that way although the excellent Josh Ruffels headed goalwards only to be denied by a covering defender on the back post.

The danger was still coming from the home side and after half an hour they were ahead when Curtis again found space on the left and this time adjusted his sights, sending it through Eastwood’s legs to give Pompey the advantage.

Stung into action, United started to look more like their usual pre-lockdown selves and Browne went close with a long-range effort as they came back at the home side with typical character. Browne looked the likely source of an equaliser and on 43 minutes he drew the U’s level with a typical, sensational, strike.

Picking up the ball inside his own half, Browne drove at the retreating Pompey defence who were almost among their cardboard cut outs in the stand by the time they stopped going backwards and spotted the danger. Too late. A low shot inside the near post of Alex Bass's goal and United were all square at the break.

Mark Sykes added energy soon after half time and United began to regain the swagger that had seen them win five in a row before the lay-off.

They were close to a lead when Marcus Harness flicked a header just over his own bar on the hour and James Henry made it all about keeper Bass, who had no trouble with a long-range effort on 63.

Credit to the players on both sides; a 2D crowd is no substitute for the passion of a packed Fratton Park but the teams produced an honest, open match which masked the fact they hadn't played for over 100 days.

It wasn't always pretty but to go into a game with so much at stake after such a long enforced lay-off was a tough call for all involved. Eastwood kept it level with a sprawling save from a Burgess header but a draw will suffice.

On to the next one. Ninety minutes and the adventure continues with a chance of Wembley and perhaps the Championship.

Standings

The Gaffer

Show Your Colours