Oxford Utd Vs West Brom: Oxford prevail 2-1 at Kassam as Baggies' struggles deepen

Emerson Raymont

Published: February 28, 2026 5:15 PM ET

Oxford Utd Vs West Brom: Oxford prevail 2-1 at Kassam as Baggies' struggles deepen

Oxford Utd Vs West Brom ended with Oxford United securing a 2-1 victory at the Kassam Stadium in a result that intensifies West Bromwich Albion’s relegation concerns. The win gave Oxford their first home goal since Boxing Day and a rare Championship triumph that reshapes the immediate survival picture for both clubs.

Match events: Will Lankshear and Stanley Mills deliver Oxford’s goals

Stanley Mills opened the scoring with a close-range header from a Jamie Donley corner, a finish that stretched in from six yards and ended Oxford’s club-record run of five home matches without a goal. Will Lankshear then rose to head in a floated free-kick from Cameron Brannagan, with Lankshear’s strike marking his first league goal since New Year’s Day and putting Oxford 2-0 up after 26 minutes.

Oliver Bostock, introduced as a substitute for West Brom, cut the deficit when his shot from the edge of the box took a heavy deflection off Brannagan and left goalkeeper Jamie Cumming stranded, making it 2-1. Krystian Bielik later failed to level with a headed chance from an Alex Mowatt free kick with six minutes remaining, and Oxford held on for the win.

James Morrison and West Bromwich Albion interim leadership

Eric Ramsay was sacked after nine games in charge following a 1-1 draw with Charlton Athletic on the Tuesday before this fixture, and James Morrison stepped up to take first-team affairs. Morrison, 39, has been unbeaten in three games when taking charge in recent spells — draws with Cardiff City, a win over Luton Town at the end of the 2024/25 term and a penalty-shootout victory over Swansea City in the Emirates FA Cup in January — and urged his side to show “courage, ” “personality” and “quality” ahead of the trip to the Kassam.

Morrison said the squad had only had two days to implement his messaging on the training ground, and that meetings, video work and practice sessions had been used to prepare. He emphasised the need to be clinical in a game defined by fine margins and called for more crosses, shots and attacking intent to give supporters something to cheer about.

League context: table positions, runs and wider consequences

The defeat extends West Brom’s league winless run to 11 matches and leaves them just one point above the relegation zone. Oxford’s victory — their first in seven Championship matches — moved them three points behind West Brom and two points off 22nd-placed Leicester City, whose earlier 2-0 home loss to Norwich City increased the stakes in the relegation fight.

West Brom also registered their 13th away defeat of the season, the most in the Championship, and have not won on the road since the start of October. What makes this notable is how quickly management change and form have combined to magnify the pressure on a club already flirting with the drop.

Squad news: injuries, absentees and selection questions

Oxford will be without Brian De Keersmaecker for the rest of the season after he opted for surgery on a shoulder injury that had kept him out since the January win at Leicester City. Jamie McDonnell and Brodie Spencer remained doubts after scans on ankle injuries sustained the previous weekend, while Jamie Donley, absent on Wednesday night, was expected to be in line for a return within a week. Tyler Goodrham and Greg Leigh were also listed as unavailable.

West Brom’s injury list included centre-half Chris Mepham and striker Karlan Grant, both sidelined with hamstring problems, the former injured just over two weeks earlier. Tammer Bany and Joshua Griffiths were also named among the unavailable players. Interim boss Morrison was expected to consider significant changes to style and personnel following Ramsay’s departure.

Operational impact: Milton interchange closure and matchday travel

Matchday travel was affected by the closure of the A34/A4130 Milton Interchange. One of the OX2 football special buses started from Steventon while the other, beginning in Didcot, was diverted Milton Park and into Milton Village to Drayton. Heavy traffic between Didcot and Drayton required OX2 to pick up at Didcot stops 30 minutes earlier than normal; both OX2 buses were expected to pick up in Drayton at the usual times for a 3pm kick-off.

Supporters wishing to board at Milton Heights were advised to travel to Steventon, and those aiming to alight at Steventon on the return journey were reminded to ensure they boarded the correct OX2. The Milton interchange closure impacted fans travelling from Didcot, Milton, East Hendred, Wantage, Grove and surrounding villages who drive to the A34. An alternative for Wantage and Grove supporters was the OX1 Football Special, which started in Charlton and picked up in Wantage, Grove, East Hanney, Marcham and Abingdon; the printed PDF timetable was out of date and fans were instructed to insert the fixture date to access correct pick-up times.

Historical context: past meetings and memorable moments

The two clubs have met 26 times since 1973, with Oxford recording five wins and eight draws. The first meeting this season had ended in a 2-1 victory for West Brom at The Hawthorns, when Will Lankshear had given Oxford the lead only for an own goal and an Aune Heggebo strike to turn the game. The last Kassam meeting before this one, in October 2024, saw Dane Scarlett score a stoppage-time goal to rescue a point for the hosts. Oxford’s most recent victory in the fixture dated back to 1998 under Malcolm Shotton, a 3-0 win featuring goals from Joey Beauchamp, Paul Powell and Simon Marsh.