PREVIEW Oxford United v Portsmouth

A full guide to tonight's big game at the Kassam Stadium

18 April 2023

Oxford United welcome Portsmouth to the Kassam Stadium tonight in Sky Bet League 1 (7.45pm)

It's a big game for both sides with United looking to pull away from danger and Pompey pushing for a play-off place

TEAM NEWS
Defeat at home to Bolton meant the U's are now without a win in 15 games and they will be looking for a faster start, as midfielder Marcus McGuane told iFollow:

“We came out really slow on Saturday. After that we regrouped and got together and the second half was a lot better but at the end of the day we need to put the ball in the back of the net.

"We know where we are and we know we are in a dogfight.

“We need to get around each other and stick together. That starts against Portsmouth on Tuesday. We will get in to training the next couple of days, get ourselves totally together and we will be ready for Tuesday night.”

Billy Bodin is now back in full training and could feature tonight or return to the squad for the trip to Barnsley on Saturday.

See the full interview with Liam plus the thoughts of Kyle Joseph in the Preview Show in iFollow right now.

THE OPPOSITION
There is a familiar face in charge of Pompey as John Mousinho returns to the U's.

“Everyone’s aware of the situation and it’s something that I’m just going to have to keep internal" he told the official Portsmouth website. "For the boys and everyone else involved, it’s just another game – it’s not like there are five or six players going back there. It might seem a bit strange for me to be in the other dressing room and the opposite dug-out. That’s always the case when you go back to an old club.

“The important message for me is that we go there, try to do a professional job and come away with three point.I think that Oxford have been unlucky in some of their recent games and they’re not conceding a lot of goals, with a few narrow losses. They still have a huge amount of attacking talent on the pitch that a lot of sides at this level would envy, even if they haven’t been scoring many.

“Oxford have been playing some good football lately and we’ll certainly have to be wary of them on Tuesday.”

#StandUnited

Pompey Programme Available

TICKETS
Tickets are available now from

oufctickets.co.uk
By calling 01865 337533
In person from the Kassam Stadium Ticket Office on matchday

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 be in place so pedestrians cannot move from one end of the ground to the other behind that stand

VISITING FANS

Click here for a full away fan guide: away fan guide 2223.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, offer easy and affordable transport to home games and from now until the end of the season they are part of the government's £2 for a ticket scheme. Click HERE for timetables and details.

FAMILY
You can download a full guide to bringing your family to the Kassam Stadium here: FamilyDayGuide for download.pdf

FIFTY/50
Our Polythene UK Fifty/50 tickets are available all around the ground and offer a great chance to win cash at half time.

COVERAGE
The game is available to watch in the UK and worldwide in iFollow.

CLICK HERE to see all the action, with commentary from our friends at BBC Oxford

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.

Match Reports

REPORT Oxford United 1 Portsmouth 1

Long goal earns battling United a point. Full time report

18 April 2023

Oxford United continue to keep their head above water after a Sam Long goal edged them a point closer to League 1 safety with a 1-1 draw against Portsmouth this evening.

Long's goal cancelled out an excellent opener from Marlon Pack to give United a deserved share of the spoils after a spirited 90 minutes that should give them plenty of hope for the four remaining games.

The contrast between the sonambulant first 20 minutes in Saturday’s defeat to Bolton and a far more aggressive performance this time was obvious, with Marcus Browne driving at defenders and Tyler Goodrham and Kyle Joseph adding energy out wide right from the start.

It created two early chances; Gatlin O’Donkor flicked the first into the side netting after 11 minutes and then the same player was off target six minutes later after losing his man inside the box. And if we have learned one thing from the last 15 games, it is that if you let your own chances escape then the opposition punish you. On 26 minutes captain Pack put Pompey ahead with a superbly struck free-kick that flew over the wall and into the top corner via the underside of the crossbar.

180423 portsmouth (1).jpg

Could United respond? It looked a long way back, but that was exactly what happened.

The one thing the team have shown in the last month is a fighting spirit, so going behind didn’t put them off their stride.

They had two free kick opportunities of their own, and although Cameron Brannagan was unable to match Pack’s accuracy from either, a set piece was looking their best way back. On 37 minutes it was Long who found the net when he met a Brannagan corner with a perfectly placed header that lifted the home fans and provided hope.

180423 portsmouth (4).jpg

With the visitors still chasing the play-offs, it set up a second half where both sides needed to go for three points rather than settle for one, and yet it was the U's who dominated.

Bishop bashed a header at goal that hit Pack and was cleared, but Conor Ogilvie threw himself bravely in front of Browne at the other end and Goodrham's well-struck drive was pushed round the post by keeper Matt Macey on the hour.

O'Donkor glanced a chance wide; that just made the crowd chant his name louder. United took hold of the game and the fans sang themselves hoarse to try and conjure up a second goal. It was there for the taking. Browne shouldered another cross wide, sub Billy Bodin slashed a chance over and once again the only thing missing was that elusive finishing touch.

Five draws in six games, but this was the best 90 minutes of them all. Another step in the right direction and with 360 minutes of the season left, United showed enough tonight to show that they can still turn this thing full circle.

The fans are with them. The players are together. Stand United.

Att: 8,345
Away: 1,460

Fifty/50 winning number 81268 wins £999

Report by Chris Williams, pictures Steve Edmunds and Darrell Fisher, stats by OPTA

See extended highlights and reaction in iFollow