Portsmouth see gap to Championship drop zone cut as Oxford United find new lease of life
Championship fixtures last night saw Matt Bloomfield’s side continue to resurrect their survival hopes. It was looking even worse for John Mousinho’s side - until rival Southampton did the Blues a late favour.
Pompey saw their gap to Championship safety cut to just two points as Oxford United hit form at a critical moment.
But the Blues saw rivals Southampton do them a late favour, as their stoppage-time leveller denied West Brom a massive win.
3 wins in 3 for Oxford United as gap to Pompey cut to 2 points
Oxford are reeling in the Blues, as their defeat to Swansea City on Tuesday night made it just a single point from the past 12.
Matt Bloomfield’s side took full advantage, as they grabbed a 1-0 victory over fellow strugglers Blackburn Rovers at the Kassam Stadium.
Jamie Donley got the only goal of the game in the 34th minute, with Oxford withstanding a late Blackburn charge to see home an important win.
The victory sees the U’s inject new life into their bid for Championship survival, when they looked to be losing their grip on their place in the division.
After six second-tier games without success and just one league win in 11, Bloomfield’s men have now put together three wins on the bounce against West Brom, Preston North End and Michael O’Neill’s side.
Bloomfield dedicated the victory to Amelia Aplin, the Oxford academy teenager who died after collapsing in a game at the club’s training ground against Fulham last week,
‘We had Amelia in our hearts tonight,’ Bloomfield told BBC Radio Oxford.
‘I really wanted to do the evening justice with our performance. Nothing can replace what her poor parents have suffered this weekend and what they have lost.
‘But we wanted as a football club to pay our respects in the best possible way, respectfully off the pitch and then to try and put a performance in on the pitch that hopefully made a few people smile this evening.
‘Oxford United is one special football club. I hope that tonight we represented her and her family with the dignity and respect that she deserved.’
Baggies 1 win in 15 but ‘mixed emotions’ for interim boss
Meanwhile, West Brom saw their shocking run extended to 15 games without a Championship win - as Southampton struck in the 91st minute to salvage a 1-1 draw.
Cyle Larin’s late effort cancelled out Jayson Molumby’s 45th-minute opener to see the Baggies drop to one place off the foot of the Championship table.
Interim boss James Morrison guided his side to their second point under his stewardship, however, after a 1-1 draw at Sheffield United on Saturday.
He told the club’s official website: ‘I’ve got mixed emotions after that one.
‘I’m really proud of the players’ performance. I asked for them to leave everything on the pitch and they did. We were up against a quality side.
‘In terms of physicality, you could see at the end that we were out on our feet. We had to try and make some changes to freshen it up.
‘There’s some disappointment with the goal that we’ve conceded. I don’t think we should have thrown the ball into the box and then we need to try and stop the cross. We might have been a bit deep in the box too, but the finish hits the post and bar and then goes in. I’m disappointed with the goal.
‘However, I’m upbeat. That’s the benchmark now and we need to bring that performance into Saturday’s game with Hull.
‘I’ve spoken a lot this week about backing performances up. We need to keep doing it again and again. It was there.’
Elsewhere, Charlton Athletic took a giant step to Championship safety after a 1-0 win at high-flying Middlesbrough. Norwich City did likewise with a 2-1 success over Sheffield United at Carrow Road.
QPR are seven points from safety after losing 1-0 to Birmingham City. Coventry beat Preston 3-0 in the night’s other Championship fixture.