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Oxford beat Preston to move out of Championship drop zone Helik bundled Oxford into early lead at Deepdale Osmajic headed in leveller for Preston soon after Lankshear put Oxford back in front after break Brown made it 3-1 to U's just after hour mark West Brom join Leicester & Sheff Wed in bottom three Cheltenham score late equaliser to draw 2-2 with Barrow in League Two Alex Hoad Preston 1-1 Oxford Jamie Donley whips in a dangerous corner from the Oxford right and Dai Cornell comes forward attempting to meet the ball under his bar but can only punch the back of Ben Whiteman's head as he clears it. Lack of communication, there, as there were no yellow shirts in close attendance. Preston 1-1 Oxford Not too far out to shoot, but too far out to score. Callum Lang whips in a powerful right-footed curler but Jamie Cumming can see it all the way and holds it cleanly, standing up, at his right-post. Preston 1-1 Oxford Jerome Sale BBC Radio Oxford commentator Five meaningful efforts for Oxford so far, it's so frustrating that only one of those has gone in. I don't think we have said that all season though about Oxford, they have started very differently than what we are used to seeing. Preston 1-1 Oxford This could be big. Ciaron Brown goes into the book for a meaty lunge from behind on Milutin Osmajic. One of the easier decisions Andrew Kitchen has had to make. The free-kick is 35 yards out. .. too far for a shot? Preston 1-1 Oxford Preston might be bossing possession but it's Oxford who have had EIGHT shots in the opening 20 minutes, just two of them on target, though. Might they be made to rue Ciaron Brown's header over the top just two minutes before North End equalised? Preston 1-1 Oxford Alan Kelly Former Preston keeper on BBC Radio Lancashire 71% possession for Preston apparently. It doesn't feel like that at all. That goes to show stats don't always reflect the game. Preston 1-1 Oxford The U's launch in a long throw from the left which is hooked on by Michael Helik and funds Will Lankshear, another Spurs loanee, who spins but drags a 12-yard effort well wide of Dai Cornell's left-hand post. The visitors are really piling on the pressure on this shaky North End backline. Preston 1-1 Oxford This game is barmy. Oxford pinch possession and Stan Mills drives forward with the ball in his own half, and keeps going, and going, eventually reaching the box and being driven slightly left by Ben Whiteman before lashing a shot over Dai Cornell's bar. More boos from the home fans there too. They are having kittens at some of this defending. Paul Heckingbottom probably is too. Preston 1-1 Oxford End-to-end stuff as another Cameron Brannagan free-kick causes chaos in the North End box and after a scramble the ball breaks to Jamie Donley who can only guide his effort past Dai Cornell's left hand post with the keeper unsighted. Hands on head from the Tottenham loanee, one of three on the field this evening. .. possibly getting some practice in ahead of next season. .. Preston 1-1 Oxford A nearly identical move from Preston as Lewis Dobbin again rolls back for Ben Whiteman to whip in another cross from a similar position but Oxford get their marking right this time, Michal Helik getting tight to Milutin Osmajic who can only nod tamely at Jamie Cumming. Preston 1-1 Oxford Alan Kelly Former Preston keeper on BBC Radio Lancashire Fantastic cross, whipped into the far post. That was the response that Preston needed and they needed it quickly. Oxford will be thinking they are still in this though, they will have to go and get another. The crowd were really starting to turn on the players here. Milutin Osmajic Who said this would be boring? The ball is rolled to Ben Whiteman on the right flank who whips in a perfect first-time cross which is met by the head of Milutin Osmajic, who had escaped Ciaron Brown, to power a header low to Jamie Cumming's right. You can't save those. And a reminder of how good a finisher the Montenegrin is. That's seven goals in 20 appearances in the Championship now. Deepdale is alive once more. Preston 0-1 Oxford Alan Kelly Former Preston keeper on BBC Radio Lancashire Big boos around the stadium. The crowd are letting the players know they aren't happy. Oxford have had all the possession and the chances. The back four seem really unfamiliar with each other. Preston 0-1 Oxford Jerome Sale BBC Radio Oxford commentator I think Oxford might be thinking they can get another goal here. They are going for it. I don't want to say that would put the game to bed, but they would be on their way. Preston 0-1 Oxford Boos rain down from the home fans as Preston make a hash of clearing their lines in the box, allowing Stan Mills to swing a cross back in from the right only for Ciaron Brown to plant a free header over the bar. A glorious chance of a second goes begging, and the Preston fans are restless. Preston 0-1 Oxford Alan Kelly Former Preston keeper on BBC Radio Lancashire They will be shocked, they shouldn't be 1-0 down after five minutes. The back four are unfamiliar with each other, I don't think they knew where each other were going to be. That is going to cause issues. Preston 0-1 Oxford Nathan Cooper BBC Radio Oxford commentator Brilliant ball in, horrific defending from Preston. They couldn't keep it out, absolute limbs in the away end. They have been saying they don't score enough goals from set pieces. Cheltenham 1-0 Barrow It's first blood to Steve Cotterill's side. Josh Davison has given the hosts a 15th-minute lead with his fourth goal of season. Second-bottom Barrow are already behind. Michal Helik Now then. Another goal from a set-piece. And it's not great from Lewis Gibson and the North End backline, here. Cameron Brannagan drills in a straight free-kick from the halfway line which drifts over Gibson and is controlled on his chest in the area by Michal Helik who keeps his calm to hold off Gibson and bounce a shot past Dai Cornell and into the back of the net. The Yellows are buzzing, and out of the bottom three as things stand. Preston 0-0 Oxford It's Preston who have enjoyed the lion's share of the ball in the early exchanges, and they're clearly looking to play the ball in behind for Milutin Osmajic, Callum Lang and Lewis Dobbin at the earliest opportunity. No joy just yet, though. Will Lankshear scored his ninth goal of the season for Oxford United Oxford United beat faltering Preston North End at Deepdale to climb out of the Championship relegation places and drag West Bromwich Albion into the bottom three. Michal Helik gave the U's a fifth-minute lead, but Milutin Osmajic soon levelled in a frantic opening, with both goals aided by some poor defending. The visitors spurned good chances to add a second but did restore their lead after the break through Will Lankshear's deft finish before Ciaron Brown hooked in a third. It earned Oxford back-to-back wins for the first time this season and lifts them out of the relegation places on goal difference from the Baggies, while Preston drop to 12th - eight points adrift of the top six - after a sixth defeat in 10. Out-of-sorts West Brom and second-bottom Leicester will move back above Oxford on Saturday if they avoid defeat. The Foxes head to promotion-chasing Ipswich, while Albion visit Sheffield United (15: 00 GMT). Knowing a win would move them out of the bottom three for the first time this year, Oxford started brilliantly as Helik chested down Cameron Brannagan's long free-kick from halfway and shinned a finish past goalkeeper David Cornell. Brown headed over when unmarked, and a moment later, Osmajic found a yard of space to meet Ben Whiteman's fine cross and head in from close range. More shaky defending drew boos from the home fans as Jamie Donley was given space to cushion a shot just past the post before Stan Mills was allowed to run from deep in his own half into the Preston penalty area but blazed over. Lankshear did well to block Whiteman's goalbound volley, but the Tottenham loanee striker was found wanting at the other end when played in on goal as a poor first touch allowed Cornell to smother. The U's had mustered just nine second-half goals in the Championship this season and may have feared their chance of a fourth away win of the campaign had gone. But Lankshear made amends for his earlier miss as he stuck out a toe to divert Mills' low shot just inside the right-hand post with Preston's back line again caught ball watching. And the hosts' soft centre was exposed again as Myles Peart-Harris' long throw was flicked on for Brown who outmuscled Lewis Gibson to steer in a close-range finish and equal Oxford's biggest win of the season. The Lilywhites pressed in a desperate bid to salvage something, but Jordan Thompson's snapshot, beat clear by U's keeper Jamie Cumming, was the best they could muster as they limped to a fourth home defeat in their past six matches. Oxford United boss Matt Bloomfield told BBC Radio Oxford: "It's the best performance in my time here. Both in and out of possession there was lots to like, but I'm not going to get carried away about it, it's just one game. "We've put two wins back-to-back for the first time in quite a while which we're really pleased about. "A lot of the players were at a really good level which allowed us to have a team performance and we created multiple opportunities. "I was actually disappointed at half-time that we left a couple of goals out there, but the second half the way they played the game in front of them, I thought the lads were excellent. " This video can not be played Wasn't At The Game (06/03/2026) After the opportunity to rate players has closed, the score displayed represents the average from all the submissions by BBC Sport users. Comments can not be loaded To load Comments you need to enable Java Script in your browser Last Updated 6th March 2026 at 21: 57 Please Note: All times UK. Tables are subject to change. The BBC is not responsible for any changes that may be made. Manager: Paul Heckingbottom Formation: 4 - 2 - 3 - 1 Manager: Matt Bloomfield Formation: 4 - 2 - 3 - 1 Manager: Paul Heckingbottom Formation: 4 - 2 - 3 - 1 Manager: Matt Bloomfield Formation: 4 - 2 - 3 - 1 Championship All competitions All competitions All competitions Preston North End are looking to complete only their second ever league double over Oxford United, doing so in the 1999-00 campaign. Oxford have won one of their last five league games against Preston (D1 L3), a 3-1 home win in August 2024 under Des Buckingham. Preston have lost three home Championship matches in 2026 so far (W2 D1), only one fewer than they lost throughout the entirety of 2025 at Deepdale (W7 D11 L4). Oxford United won their last league game, beating West Bromwich Albion 2-1, but they haven’t had consecutive Championship wins since January 2025 – the second win of which was against Luton Town, then managed by Matt Bloomfield. Jamie Donley has been involved in eight goals in his last 10 Football League starts (2 goals, 6 assists), assisting on his first start for Oxford in their 2-1 win over West Brom last time out. Copyright © 2026 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.