Sky Bet EFL Championship
Tuesday 9 December 2025
Ewood Park, Blackburn
Blackburn Rovers… 1
(Cantwell 78’)
Oxford United… 1
(Brown 45+1’)
Oxford United conceded a late penalty to draw 1-1 away to Blackburn Rovers in a spirited performance at Ewood Park.
Ciaron Brown’s goal in the first half looked to have given United three points, but Todd Cantwell scored with 12 minutes remaining from the spot to end the game in a draw.
Gary Rowett made four changes following the defeat to Swansea City on Saturday, looking to get back on track in the league, with Ben Davies in from the start as it was a reshuffled back five.
It’s been 580 days since Oxford United last had a penalty, and inside two minutes it looked as though there was a strong shout for a first this season, but the appeals for handball were waved away after Brian De Keersmaecker’s cross.
Greg Leigh was in the side for Jack Currie, and he went close with a header on eight minutes, steering it wide after good work from Luke Harris to get the ball into the box.
Blackburn had their first real chance of the game three minutes later, with Taylor Gardner-Hickman forcing a really strong save from Jamie Cumming from a dangerous position in the box.
For the next 33 minutes, not much happened at Ewood Park, with the next opportunity coming on 44 minutes when Mark Harris dragged a shot wide from outside the area.
Then, into the first minute of stoppage time in the first half, the goal arrived. Blackburn failed to deal with a ball into the box, with United keeping it alive on three occasions, and when the ball fell to Brown, he smashed it into the top left corner from seven yards out.
A perfect end to the half, but Blackburn came back into it in the second half, failing to capitalise on two headers inside the first 10 minutes which could have brought the equaliser.
First, Lewis Miller header over, and then Yuki Ohashi headed straight at Cumming from a very promising position, around 10 yards out from goal.
The home side had to push for the leveller, but that was leaving gaps for United to expose, with Mark Harris finding space in behind on occasions.
Then came the moment for Blackburn to equalise, as they won a penalty for handball on Ben Davies from Morishita’s goalward header. Up stepped Todd Cantwell, who sent Cumming the wrong way and placed the ball into the bottom left corner.
Both teams pushed for the winning goal, with Blackburn going closest with a long-range strike with a few minutes remaining, which Cumming pushed away.
A point on the road in the Championship, now eyes turn to play-off pushing Preston North End at home on Saturday.
Blackburn Rovers: Pears, Alebiosu, Ribeiro, Gardner-Hickman (Cantwell 46’), Tavares (Baradji 81’), Gudjohnsen, Miller, McLoughlin, Ohashi, Morishita, Pratt (De Neve 46’)
Subs: Michalski, Pickering, Gueye, Henriksson, Atcheson, Litherland
Oxford United: Cumming, Brown, Vaulks, Helik, M. Harris (Goodrham 86’), L. Harris (Romeny 86’), De Keersmaecker, Leigh (Currie 67’), ter Avest (Long 67’), Lankshear (Bradshaw 67’), Davies
Subs: Ingram, Prelec, Mills, Krastev
