Sky Bet EFL Championship
Saturday 21 February 2026
Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough
Middlesborough… 0
Oxford United… 0
Oxford United put in a great display to earn a positive point away to promotion chasing Middlesborough.
United had the best chances of the game, hitting the bar and post in the first half, before seeing out the second half to take another point against second in the table Boro.
There was one change to the starting XI during the warm-up as Sam Long replaced Brodie Spencer.
United started well in the opening five minutes, with Jin Woo Jeon getting the first shot on target in the game on the 5th minute with a 25 yard effort which trickled towards the goal and was held.
On the 10th minute, Jin Woo had another chance on the break as United attacked and outnumbered the Middlesborough defence, but his shot on the 18 yard line was deflected and looped over.
Boro had their first effort eight minutes later. A lovely move down their right ended with Jeremy Sarmiento getting onto the low pull back but he couldn’t get his body over the ball and the shot ballooned over.
The big chance came for Stan Mills on the 24th minute. Picking the ball up inside the Boro half, the winger smashed a left foot shot from 20 yards flush against the crossbar.
United were in the fight and were causing problems for the hosts throughout the first half, with Mills, Jin Woo and Peart-Harris. Jamie Cumming had to keep a couple of efforts out before half-time with David Stelec and Matt Target getting shots on target.
Then, right at the end of the first period, Peart-Harris managed to get onto a knock down in the box and poke a shot on goal which nicked off the post.
United went into the break the more threatening side, but without the goal to show for the efforts.
It was another fairly strong start in the second half for United, continually hitting the hosts on the break. Boro did have a few promising moments of their own in the opening 10 minutes but couldn’t make Cumming work.
Matt Bloomfield made a triple change before the hour mark, which turned into four substitutes as Jamie McDonnell went down injured, hoping to find the additional spark.
It was end to end at this point, with both counter attacking on each other with incredible speed in what was a frenetic game.
Cumming did have to pull off a big stop on the 67th minute from Tommy Conway. An excellent through ball by Stelec fond the striker running onto goal, and his flicked finish was met by the United keeper’s legs to keep it out.
With 12 minutes left, United almost gifted the opening goal of the game, when Christ Makosso’s backwards header missed Cumming and just went the right side of the post and behind.
United had a good spell of pressure towards the end and managed to see the game out well to earn a very well deserved point.
Middlesborough: Brynn, Brittain, Targett, Fry, Hackney, Conway, Whittaker, Stelec, Morris, Malanda, Sarmiento
Subs: Wildsmith, McGree, Ayling, Gilbert, Munroe, Browne, Sene, Hansen, Ibeh
Oxford United: Cumming, Brown, Brannagan, Long, Mills (Romeny 57’), Currie, Lankshear (Helik 86’), Jin Woo (Emakhu 57’), Makosso, McDonnell (Vaulks 57’), Peart-Harris (Donley 57’)
Subs: Ingram, Harris, Roosken