Date: 31st August 2024 Venue: Kassam Stadium, Oxford
Oxford United secured their second home Championship win of the season with a 3-1 victory over a ten-man Preston North End this afternoon. Preston took an early lead through Emil Riis, but Oxford's top scorer, Mark Harris, equalized before halftime. Tyler Goodrham and substitute Greg Leigh found the net in the second half, with Leigh's goal coming shortly after Preston's Liam Lindsay was sent off.
Oxford made two changes from their previous match against Blackburn Rovers; Josh McEachran replaced Will Vaulks in a holding midfield role, and Cameron Brannagan returned to the lineup in place of Idris El Mizouni, who missed out due to illness.
Preston started brightly and broke the deadlock in the third minute when Riis capitalized on a defensive error to score from close range. The early setback was a test of Oxford's resilience, but the home side responded positively.
Preston nearly doubled their lead in the 16th minute when Riis's deflected shot forced a superb save from Jamie Cumming, who tipped the ball over the bar. Oxford, however, found their equalizer just three minutes later. Peter Kioso played a pivotal role, retaining possession and setting up McEachran, who lofted a clever pass over the defense for Harris. The striker timed his run perfectly and calmly chipped Preston goalkeeper Freddie Woodman.
Oxford faced an unexpected challenge on the half-hour mark when Matt Phillips was forced off with an injury, prompting the introduction of new signing Siriki Dembélé. Dembélé made an immediate impact, helping to unlock Preston's defense with a series of incisive moves, including a chance for Sam Long, whose back-heel flick forced a scrambling save from Woodman.
Goodrham put Oxford ahead in the 54th minute with a stunning solo effort. Collecting the ball from Long, he surged past his marker, cut inside, and unleashed a curling shot from the edge of the box that struck the post before finding the back of the net—a goal worthy of any highlight reel.
Oxford's fortunes improved further when Lindsay received his second yellow card of the match, reducing Preston to ten men. The foul occurred as Harris broke free, leaving the visitors with an uphill battle for the remainder of the match.
Oxford capitalised immediately. From the resulting free kick, Dembélé picked up the loose ball and played it back to Long, whose deep cross found Kioso. Kioso's header across the box was met by Leigh, who nodded home to seal the victory.
The win was a welcome boost for Oxford following consecutive away defeats. With the international break now ahead, Oxford has time to regroup and prepare for their next fixture against Stoke City in two weeks.
Oxford United Line-up: Cumming, Long, Brown, McEachran (El Mizouni 76), Brannagan, Harris, Phillips (Dembélé 34), Bennett (Leigh 45+1), Goodrham, Rodrigues (Vaulks 76), Kioso
Unused Substitutes: Ingram, Ebiowei, Sibley, Dale, Scarlett
Attendance: 11,403 (1,467 away fans)
Comments