Sky Bet EFL Championship
Wednesday 11 March 2026
Kassam Stadium, Oxford
Oxford United… 1
(Donley 35’)
Blackburn Rovers… 0
Oxford United made it three consecutive wins on a night where the Club paid its respects to Amelia Aplin.
Amelia, a 15-year-old Academy player, tragically passed away during a Girls’ game on Saturday. The news rocked the Football Club, and on this Wednesday evening, the entire Oxford community came together with a minute’s silence prior to kick-off to respectfully and emotionally pay respect, as Amelia’s teammates and family joined the players on the pitch.
Before the game, tributes were also laid outside the stadium, with Blackburn Rovers captain Todd Cantwell placing flowers on behalf of the visiting side. The Club would like to thank all those at Blackburn, from the players, staff and supporters, and we would like to thank the matchday officials, for joining us in remembering Amelia.
As the football began, United came flying out of the traps, getting off to an outstanding front-footed start. Will Lankshear was inches away from making it 1-0 inside six minutes as he looked certain to tap in Stan Mills’ cross, but a Blackburn body just got in to nick it wide.
On the 15th minute, the stadium stopped once more for a minute’s applause for Amelia, with the referee, David Webb, halting play to allow both sets of players to join.
The chances continued to come once the game restarted, with Mills next to go close, as he forced Balazs Toth into a smart low save as he cut in from the right.
The crowd thought Jamie Donley had grabbed his first goal in Oxford colours on the 33rd minute. Toth spilled a dangerous cross from the left which fell to the Northern Ireland international, but he could only hit his shot into the side netting with the goal gapping.
However, two minutes later, Donley did open his account in yellow and grab the first of the night. A cross from the right found Myles Peart-Harris who got a strong header on goal. Toth pushed the effort wide but only to the onrushing Donley who buried the rebound.
Back into the second half and Ciaron Brown almost made it 2-0 on the 55th minute, as he met Cameron Brannagan’s corner and headed over.
One minute later, Peart-Harris let Blackburn off the hook. Yunus Konak won possession back and it allowed the forward to run through on goal but his left foot shot was tame when it should have hit the back of the net.
Blackburn had the last big chance of the game with five minutes remaining, as the ball played pinball in the box, but somehow, United kept it out when it look destined to go in.
In the end, United were deserved winners. A win for Oxford United, and the community of Oxfordshire on a night that will always be remembered for Amelia.
Oxford United: Cumming, Long, Brown, Konak (Vaulks 78’), Helik, Brannagan, Mills (Harris 87’), Currie, Lankshear (Prelec 72’), Donley (McDonnell 87’), Peart-Harris (Spencer 78’)
Subs: Ingram, Emakhu, Jin Woo, Makosso
Blackburn Rovers: Toth, Alebiosu, Gardner-Hickman, De Neve, McLoughlin, Carter, Cashin, Baragji, Morishita, Forshaw, Jorgensen
Subs: Michalski, Pickering, Ribeiro, Tavares, Cantwell, Wharton, Afolayan, Ohashi, Atcheson
Attendance: 9993 (720 away)
50/50: £1,074 / 112402