Sky Bet EFL Championship
Friday 6 March 2026
Deepdale, Preston
Preston North End… 1
(Osmajic 12’)
Oxford United… 3
(Helik 5’, Lankshear 55’, Brown 61’)
Oxford United earned back-to-back wins for the first time this season with an impressive 3-1 win over Preston North End.
Goals from Michal Helik, Will Lankshear and Ciaron Brown secured an important victory to back up last weekend’s three points over West Brom.
United were remarkably ahead inside five minutes with Michal Helik grabbing his first of the season. It came from a long free-kick which found the defender on the right of the box and he the quality to take it on his chest and push the ball over Dai Cornell into the net, despite Preston attempts to clear on the line.
It could and should have been 2-0 on the 10th minute. Stan Mills played a delightful cross into the box to an unmarked Ciaron Brown six yards out who got under the ball and headed over.
United were made to pay for not taking the chance as Preston equalised two minutes later. It was a poor goal to concede with an unchallenged cross from the right finding Milutin Osmajic unmarked to head past Jamie Cumming.
Oxford came back firing and could have restored the lead on the 14th minute. Cameron Brannagan’s whipped free-kick from deep found Will Lankshear, with his shot blocked as far as Jamie Donley who curled a first-time shot narrowly over the bar.
The chances kept coming with Mills almost scoring a goal of the season contender on 17 minutes. Running from his own box, the winger beat everyone in sight and got through on goal, but he couldn’t keep his left-footed attempt down.
The game eventually slowed down, but the biggest chance of the half came just before half-time for the usually reliable Lankshear. Donely was the creator, playing a lovely reverse pass to his Tottenham teammate, but his touch let him down at the crucial moment and it allowed the keeper to get out and smother his shot.
But, Lankshear wouldn’t be undone, as on the 55th minute he put the Yellows back into the lead. United were putting Preston under pressure, but it came from a speculative effort from Mills on the volley from 25 yards, with the loan striker managing to get a flick on the ball and poke it into the net.
United were on the front foot and Myles Peart-Harris was close to making it 3-1 three minutes later with a lovely curling effort from the edge of the box which had to be pushed away from the top corner.
On the 61st minute United got the well deserved third goal. A long throw from Peart-Harris was met at the front post by Helik and into the path of Brown who done well to hold off his marker and power a volley high into the net.
The United chances continued to come and in the end, managed to see the game out with real confidence and belief.
A big win for the Club as we climb out of the relegation zone for the first time this year, with Blackburn Rovers up next at home.
Preston North End: Cornell, Whiteman, Lang, Storey, Thompson, Hughes, Dobbin, Gibson, Devine, Osmajic, Offiah
Subs: Walton, Valentin, Vukcevic, McCann, Jebbison, Moran, Smith, Small, Potts
Oxford United: Cumming, Long, Brown, Konak (Vaulks 80’), Helik, Brannagan, Mills (Makosso 80’), Currie (Spencer 46’), Lankshear (Prelec 70’), Donley (Harris 86’), Peart-Harris
Subs: Ingram, Emakhu, Jin Woo, McDonnell
