Oxford Utd 0-1 Sunderland: What Le Bris said after FA Cup progress
Habib Diarra's first-half penalty was enough to see Sunderland into the FA Cup fifth round after a scrappy, rain-affected 1-0 victory over Oxford United at the Kassam Stadium. Manager Régis Le Bris praised his players' team spirit and the match management that edged them through a tight contest.
Le Bris: 'No easy games' and trust the referee
Le Bris emphasised the difficulty of the fixture, saying "No easy games. Oxford last season we struggled against them. Job done, good team spirit. " He singled out Oxford's direct approach and effectiveness from set-pieces and long throws as particularly challenging elements: "Oxford went direct, second ball game which is always difficult to manage. When you find the opportunity to score you do it and that is what we did. Oxford fought until the end, set-pieces and long throws we knew they were efficient. "
On the decisive penalty that settled the tie, Le Bris urged calm and acceptance: "You have to trust the referee otherwise you can't move forward. He did well, it was not an easy game to referee. It was balanced. " The manager underlined that the FA Cup is treated with seriousness regardless of competition or opposition: "We enjoy every game - Premier League or FA Cup. We try to do our best, it was enough today and we move forward. " Kick-off in Oxford was at 2: 00pm ET.
Match narrative: weather, changes and a single decisive moment
The contest was played out in heavy rain with a crowd of 9, 879 witnessing a largely stop-start encounter in which both sides made substantial changes to their line-ups. Oxford made nine alterations from midweek, handing a home debut to Jamie Donley and fielding young loanee Will Lankshear, while Sunderland rotated heavily from their recent league match.
Oxford fashioned an early opening when Donley met a long ball from Lankshear but the Sunderland keeper pushed the effort away. The visitors' goal came on 30 minutes when a challenge in the box led to a penalty, which Diarra converted into the right-hand corner. With no video assistant referee in play, the on-field decision stood and the stadium noise underlined the contentious nature of the moment.
Oxford continued to probe, using long throws and aerial duels to create danger, but they could not find the leveller. Sunderland's defensive organisation — even in a makeshift back line on the day — held firm, extending a favourable recent run against this opponent.
What it means and what comes next
The result maintains Sunderland's strong recent record against Oxford United; the Black Cats have lost just once in their last 16 meetings across all competitions, a sequence that has included a run of 15 matches in which they conceded one or fewer goals. Their FA Cup fortunes in recent years have also improved: Sunderland have progressed from four of their last five fourth-round ties since 2012, matching the total they achieved across a far longer earlier period.
For Oxford, the performance offered signs of resilience despite the scoreline, with the manager noting a marked improvement from previous outings. For Sunderland, progression to the fifth round offers a weekend to savour before attention turns back to league matters. The tie will be remembered less for flair and more for a single, decisive intervention and a manager's message about discipline, trust and pragmatism on a difficult day for football at the Kassam.
