PREVIEW Oxford United v Doncaster Rovers

A full guide to Saturday's Sky Bet League 1 game at the Kassam Stadium

29 April 2022

Oxford United welcome Doncaster Rovers to the Kassam Stadium on Saturday for the final game of the 2021/22 season (12.30 kick off)

It's one last chance to get behind the U's this season with the play-offs now out of reach...

TEAM NEWS
United Boss Karl Robinson told iFollow that he will pick a team based on players who will be here next season and that could mean a first home start for Marcus Browne since he signed permanently in January.

Youngsters Gatlin O'Donkor and James Golding are also included in the squad- both missing the you team's trip to Plymouth today as a result.

Sam Baldock, Alex Gorrin and Jamie Hanson are all making good progress after injury but will not feature.

See Karl and Sam Long previewing the game in iFollow.

THE OPPOSITION
Rovers boss Gary McSheffrey also has one eye on next season.

“We’ve run out of games but I feel we’ve got a consistency to our performance level. It’s frustrating that the form has come too late but at the same time it’s good the momentum is there a little bit and it’s a positive to build on and continue come pre-season.

“Numerous times we’ve had opportunities to cut the gap and it could turn out that teams stay up on goal difference with one of the lowest points totals in recent years. That’s the past and we can just focus on the positives heading into the future.”

“I’m definitely looking forward to the fresh start but it’s also a continuation of the good things that have been going on in recent weeks and the things we’ve been putting in place. We’ve five or six tweaks, I feel we’ve got a capable squad to bounce straight back.”

The Gaffer

Football Special Buses

The Programme

End of Season Magazine Available

TICKETS
Tickets are available in advance from oufctickets.co.uk and by calling 01865 337533

There is a £50 prize draw available : to be entered into the draw, you must have a Season Ticket or have purchased a match ticket in the Planet IT Stand before Friday 29th at 3pm.

Tickets will also be available on the day.

PARKING AND ACCESS

There are around 2,000 free parking spaces at the stadium but we ask everyone to arrive early and park legally.

The gate behind the Planet IT North Stand WILL NOT be in place so fans can move from one end of the ground to the other behind that stand

VISITING FANS
Click here for a full away fan guide: 2021 away guide.pdf

Please park in the West Car Park - the one closest to the cinema and bowling complex at the fence end of the ground.

GETTING HERE
The Football Special bus services, including the Didcot/Abingdon service, are running as normal and offer easy and affordable transport to home games. Please note the timetables have changed for a 12.30 kick off! Click on the story above for timetables.

FAMILY

Click here for a full guide to bringing your family to the Kassam Stadium: 2021 family guide.pdf

FIFTY/50

With another big crowd it will also mean a big prize for the Polythene UK half time draw, make sure you buy your ticket, available all around the ground.

COVERAGE

You can hear the whole game in iFollow in the UK and see it overseas, with interviews with all the key men after the game.

You can also follow the whole game on twitter through @OUFCOfficial or on our Instagram page and we will have a full match report and Gallery right here on the final whistle.

Pre Match Videos

Subscribe Now Subscribe Subscribe

Full Match Replay Match Replay Match Replay

Match Reports

REPORT Oxford United 1 Doncaster Rovers 1

U's draw final league game. Full time report

30 April 2022

Oxford United ended their season with a 1-1 draw with Doncaster Rovers at the Kassam Stadium this afternoon.

A Billy Bodin goal in the first half was cancelled out by a fine goal from Josh Martin in the second to leave United on 76 points for the season and just shy of a third successive finish in the play-off places.

United's goal came after 22 minutes. Marcus McGuane’s clever flick started a characteristic move forward, with Player of the Year Cameron Brannagan at the heart of it. Matty Taylor crossed, former U’s keeper Johnny Mitchell was wrong-footed and could only touch it on and Bodin ghosted in at the back post to chest home from almost under the bar.

With Elliott Moore’s partner going into labour, youth team defender James Golding was given a final day opportunity to impress and took that chance well with a very composed performance on the left of a back three, although he was grateful to Jack Stevens for somehow flipping the ball over the bar to prevent an own goal after half an hour.

Golding then made a vital challenge a minute later to deny Doncaster an equaliser and caught the eye throughout with his willingness to carry the ball out of defence and spread the ball wide.

Ryan Williams, full of energy as he has been all season, fizzed a left-footed effort against the post after half an hour and went close with a similar effort soon after the break, while Matty Taylor was denied by Mitchell just before the hour. But United understandably lacked a little intensity, knowing they couldn't achieve what they had set out to do back in August.

Doncaster, needing to win by over 20 goals AND rely on results elsewhere even then, had played with plenty of heart and will be contenders next season in League 2 and deserved their goal, a superb strike from Josh Martin that flew past the startled Stevens from 30 yards out.

United gave teenage striker Gatlin O'Donkor a league debut for the final 15 minutes, making it four Academy products on the pitch, and pushed for a winner, with Golding denied a goal by a defender on the line after 87 minutes.

We wish Doncaster good luck for the push to regain League 1 status next year. United will regroup, rebuild and come back stronger.

See you next season.

Att: 9,139

Away: 440

Fifty/50 winning number 33830 wins £1153.50

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

Match Reports

Ticket News

Back the U’s in the Season Finale

One final chance to cheer on your team

26 April 2022

Oxford United host Doncaster Rovers this Saturday 30th April for a 12:30pm kick off in the final league fixture of the 2021/22 campaign, and tickets remain on sale as the U’s aim to finish with a win.

Regardless of how Saturday’s match plays out, Karl Robinson’s side will end with a minimum of 75 points on the board, a record total in the third tier for the Yellows since moving to the Kassam Stadium over 20 years ago.

It’s not just on the pitch that the records have been broken either, with the fine support from the Yellow Army seeing no less than six attendances exceeding 10k since the turn of the year.

Saturday will be a time for mutual appreciation between the players and staff of the club and those who have so loyally followed their team across the length and breadth of the country – and we would love to see as many of you here as we start to look ahead to next season…

If you haven’t already done so you can secure your tickets for the final time this term in one of three ways: