Rowett starts life at Oxford United with a win
Oxford United 3 - 2 Cardiff City
Gary Rowett made an ideal start as Oxford United manager, guiding his side to a crucial 3-2 victory over relegation rivals Cardiff City at the Kassam Stadium.
This dramatic Boxing Day clash saw former Cardiff players Mark Harris and Ciaron Brown haunt their old club, as Oxford moved out of the Championship relegation zone while deepening Cardiff's survival woes.
A closer look at what happened
The match began tentatively, with both sides showing the nerves of a relegation six-pointer. Cardiff looked the more dominant early on, with Chris Willock’s deflected shot hitting the crossbar and Yakou Meite failing to capitalise on the rebound. Yet despite enjoying more possession, the visitors lacked the cutting edge to break through.
Oxford punished Cardiff’s inefficiency when their first real chance of the game fell to Mark Harris. The former Bluebird latched onto Przemyslaw Placheta’s precise cross and slotted home from close range, giving the home side a crucial lead against the run of play.
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Another defeat in a crazy season for Cardiff
Cardiff’s hopes of a revival were dashed early in the second half as Oxford showcased a clinical streak. Defender Ciaron Brown doubled the lead, rising to head home Tyler Goodrham’s corner. Just minutes later, Placheta added a stunning third, curling a thunderous long-range effort into the top corner.
The hosts took full control, hleaving Cardiff chasing shadows for much of the second half. Although Cian Ashford pulled one back for the visitors in the 82nd minute after some slack defending, Oxford remained composed. Callum Robinson’s late strike with the game’s final kick added respectability to the scoreline, but it was far from enough to salvage anything for Cardiff.
This defeat also extends their dismal Boxing Day record, with only two wins in their last 24 league matches on this date. For Oxford, it marked arguably their most significant victory of the season, lifting them out of the bottom three and injecting hope into their survival fight.
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Oxford fans delighted
Liam, an Oxford fan, told us: "A great way to start the new era. This win could be very important for us. It's a shame we conceded two late goals but we managed to get over the line. In terms of the performance, we moved the ball and all three goals were of good quality onwards and upwards now for us."
Frankie, also an Oxford fan, had a similar view to Liam. He said: "This victory could be very important for us. It’s unfortunate that we conceded two late goals, but we managed to secure the win. Moving forward, we’re optimistic about what lies ahead. I am now excited for the rest of this season."
