The Christmas period is a difficult time for any club but for Oxford United, the fixtures could have presented an even tougher challenge. Manager Karl Robinson, though, has guided his side through the period well.
The U’s headed into these fixtures having seen their 18-game unbeaten run to an unexpected end with defeat at lowly MK Dons, before exiting the Carabao Cup at the quarter-final stage with defeat against Manchester City.
But, since then, Robinson’s side have picked up wins in all three of their League One fixtures, despite having key players injured and a depleted squad, and have moved up to second in the division as a result.
Karl Robinson Gets Oxford Through Festive Fixtures
Oxford United 1-0 Wycombe Wanderers
Following the defeat at MK Dons and a difficult test against Manchester City, Oxford needed an immediate bounce back but when table-topping Wycombe Wanderers came to town with just one league defeat all season. It was going to be a difficult start to a quick run of fixtures.
Cameron Brannagan, who returned from a seven-week injury against MK Dons, clearly wasn’t fully fit and struggled against the Citizens as a result, but he rediscovered his form against the Chairboys.
The game itself wasn’t thrilling but Oxford, as they have in most games this season, started brightly and took a deserved lead midway through the first half through top scorer James Henry.
Like Brannagan, Henry was another key player that had been injured and struggled to return to form immediately, but his impact has been crucial this season with eleven goals for the club.
Minutes after his goal, Adebayo Akinfenwa was sent off for the visitors, making their task even harder, and although the Chairboys pushed towards the end, Oxford held on to secure the win.
Oxford United 1-0 Lincoln City
On Boxing Day, former Oxford manager and new Lincoln City head coach Michael Appleton returned to the Kassam for the first time since he left to join Leicester City as their assistant manager.
The U’s, who won the reverse fixtures 6-0 in what was a club record away win in the Football League, found the home game tougher. Appleton had started to find the balance in his squad having taken over the day before that Oxford defeat.
Even though Lincoln found themselves in the bottom half of the table, this was a much tougher test than their previous encounter and it played out much like the Wycombe win.
Shandon Baptiste opened the scoring midway through the first half – his first-ever league goal – with a sensational 25-yard effort which bounced in off the bar.
But that was that. Oxford were unable to add to their tally despite being the second-highest scoring side in the division and found themselves relying on a solid defence as the game reached its climax.
AFC Wimbledon 1-2 Oxford United
The U’s secured maximum wins with victory at lowly AFC Wimbledon this weekend. The Dons headed into this game in relatively good form and arrived off the back of an impressive away win at Bristol Rovers.
Like the previous two wins, though, Oxford made the breakthrough midway through the first half, except this time it came in the shape of an own goal. Unlike the previous two wins, Oxford conceded an equaliser. This promoted the U’s to go in search for the winner and Mark Sykes scored his first-ever league goal with a terrific finish in a one on one situation to make it three wins in a row for Karl Robinson and his side.
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