Sky Bet EFL Championship
Saturday 17 January 2025
Kassam Stadium, Oxford
Oxford United… 0
Bristol City… 0
Matt Bloomfield’s first game as Oxford United Head Coach ended in a 0-0 draw at home to Bristol City.
It was so close to all three in the opening game, as Stan Mills and Ciaron Brown missed glorious chances in stoppage time to win it.
Still, it was a positive outing with plenty to build on ahead of another important game at home on Tuesday night.
It was a bright opening 10 minutes with United on the front foot, the closest opening coming from a Myles Peart-Harris long throw which caused havoc in the box but was eventually cleared behind for a corner.
United showed a lot of aggression in the opening 20 minutes, with Will Lankshear leading the press, and on several occasions winning the ball back high up the park but failing to create.
First chance for the visitors came on the half hour mark. Scott Twine had the chance with a freekick dead centre, 20 yards out, which he dipped towards the top left corner and narrowly missed.
The first half ended in a cagey affair, with neither side particularly finding any quality to test.
The second period began in the same way in the opening 15 minutes, where at half-time Will Vaulks came on for Yunus Konak who had been booked.
The big chance for United came on the 67th minute with Will Lankshear almost tucking home the first goal under the Matt Bloomfield era. Sam Long created the opportunity, bursting down the right wing and finding the striker with an inch-perfect cross, which he just poked the wrong side of the post.
Somehow, with 18 minutes left, United couldn’t put the ball in the back of the net in one crazy minute. It was chance after chance, with the keeper making a strong save from Stan Mills, and then finally from Cameron Brannagan with the ball bouncing around the area just waiting to be tapped in.
The pressure kept mounting from United and the City team were hanging on inside the final 20 minutes.
In the final minute, the big chances fell to Matt Bloomfield’s side. Firstly, Stan Mills was sent through on goal with just the keeper to beat, but he was denied by a brilliant save. Then from the resulting corner, Ciaron Brown made perfect contact, sending a header towards the top corner, but for a City player on the line to clear.
So close to an important three points, but plenty to be positive about going into another big game on Tuesday evening.
Oxford United: Cumming, Long, Helik, Brown, Currie, Brannagan, De Keersmaecker, Konak (Vaulks 46’), Mills, Peart-Harris Lankshear (Phillips 80’)
Subs: Ingram, Harris, Romeny, Spencer, Leigh, Dembele, Krastev
Bristol City: Vitek, Randell, Atkinson, Twine, Mehmeti, Vyner, Dickie, Riis, Tanner, Borges, Morsy
Subs: Lumley, Pring, Hirakawa, Bell, Roberts, Pecvoer, Armstrong, Thomas, Earthy
Attendance: 11,160 (1,492 away)
50/50: £1,369. Number: 094400