Liam Sercombe scores penalty against Swansea in January 2016

United play for the last time in 2025 as they take on Swansea City at the Kas on Monday evening, looking for back-to-back wins for the first time this season.

United’s home record against the Swans is in the plus column, with eight wins and six defeats in the 17 meetings so far.

Last season, unfortunately, was one of those defeats as the U’s lost 2-1, with Spurs loanee Dane Scarlett scoring Oxford’s goal. However, there have also been a number of decent results against the Welsh side.

In the 1995/96 promotion season, the sides met at the Manor, also in December, with a Paul Moody hat-trick and a Johnny Byrne brace contributing to a 5-1 win for the U’s.

The sides also met in the final season at the Manor in April 2001, with the Yellows already condemned to relegation to the basement division. Nevertheless, United ran out 3-1 winners thanks to goals from Manny Omoyinmi, Jamie Brooks, and Matt Murphy.

With Swansea also getting relegated with United, the sides met again at the Kassam Stadium for the first time in January 2002, with goals from Andy Scott and the returned Moody helping the U’s to a 2-1 win.

Jefferson Louis scored the only goal of the game at the Kas the following season, still in the bottom tier, while in August 2003, United ran out 3-0 winners. Scott and Julian Alsop had put United 2-0 up when Mark Rawle came off the bench for Steve Basham. Seventeen seconds later, and with his first touch of the ball in an Oxford shirt, Rawle completed the scoring.

Oxford’s next home win over Swansea was in a televised FA Cup third round tie in the 2015/16 League Two promotion season. The Swans were in the Premier League at the time and looked to be on their way to a routine win when Jefferson Montero put them ahead midway through the first half. Just before the break, Alex MacDonald was tripped in the Swansea area and Liam Sercombe stepped up to bury the spot kick (see photo). The second half belonged to Kemar Roofe, who scored twice as United outplayed their higher-league opponents. A Bafetimbi Gomis goal couldn’t prevent the U’s progressing into the fourth round against Blackburn Rovers.

United also faced Swansea in the League Cup in August 2022. The game finished 2-2, with Oxford winning the penalty shoot-out to earn a home tie against Crystal Palace in the second round.

You can see the full list of results against Swansea City HERE.

On This Date

Mark Harris celebrates his birthday on 29th December, a date on which Oxford have played 12 times at home, eight of which have ended victorious for the Mighty Yellows.

Among the more significant results on this date are a 5-0 win over Crystal Palace in 1984 as United surged to the Division Two title. The goals included braces for Bobby McDonald and Billy Hamilton and a John Aldridge strike.

In 2001, United were struggling in 16th place in the fourth tier when bottom club Halifax Town visited the Kassam Stadium. Two goals from Moody gave United a half-time lead, shortly cut in half when Paul Harsley pulled on back just after the break. Scott restored the two-goal advantage and Dave Savage made it 4-1. A penalty enabled Moody to complete his hat-trick, and a minute late substitute Manny Omoyinmi completed the rout.

United have played on 29th December every year since 2018, when they were beaten 2-0 at home by Bristol Rovers. They then won the following four fixtures on this date, including twice against AFC Wimbledon, before losing 3-2 at home to Derby County in 2023. Two Cameron Brannagan goals had given Oxford a half-time lead, but the Rams struck back with three second-half goals to turn the game on its head and aid Derby in their quest for promotion.

Last season, United beat Plymouth Argyle 2-0 in Gary Rowett’s second game in charge, thanks to goals from Ciaron Brown and Przsemysłav Płacheta.

The Match

Craig Short will take charge of his second game in this spell of his caretakership (assuming no one is appointed in the interim) and has a tough task to follow the high bar that he set himself in his first match.

He made five changes to the side that lost forlornly at Charlton in Rowett’s last game, including two wingers, as he set the team up to go on the front foot against Southampton. There was no place in the starting line up for Will Vaulks or Mark Harris, with Luke Harris and Nik Prelec selected instead, and they both excelled.

The pace of Płacheta and Stan Mills on the wings was vital in exploiting Southampton’s lack of speed at the back, while Tyler Goodrham, played centrally in the number 10 role, was back to his best. The recall of Jack Currie to left back was another important decision as he and Brodie Spencer on the right dealt well with most of the visitors’ overloads on the wings.

Short’s (or should that be Short’s, Hackett’s and Price’s, as all three of the temporary management team were involved in the decision making, taking their cue from analyst Isaac Alder’s information) substitutions were spot on, with Filip Krastev in particular impressing as he was also given a central role that allowed him to display his talents to best effect, rather than wasted out wide.

Admittedly, there was arguably an issue with Siriki Dembélé’s involvement, as he lost possession wastefully on a couple of occasions and one time could have elected to shoot rather than try to cut back onto his right foot. However, in his defence, he hasn’t been involved with the match squad for a few weeks and didn’t have enough time to impress himself on the game. More involvement in future might fix that.

Indeed, it is entirely possible that some of the players who didn’t have that much involvement on Boxing Day, such as Dembélé, Krastev, Lankshear (who all came on as subs), and Ole Romeny, Mark Harris, and Vaulks, might well get more game time, or even a start, on Monday or the following games at Ipswich Town and Sheffield United. Of course, by then there may be a new face in the hot seat, and possibly a new face or two in the squad, so who can tell?

The win on Friday lifted the U’s above Portsmouth and out of the relegation zone (albeit only on goal difference) to within four points of Swansea (as well as Sheffield United and Blackburn). This adds additional significance to the game, as a win for United could potentially drag several other teams into the fight to avoid the bottom three, whereas a defeat, or even a draw, could undo much of the good work that the Southampton win provided.

So, does Short stick or twist? Does he stick with the side that did so well against the Saints, or does he make changes, either with future games in mind or specifically to counter whatever threats Alder and the coaches have spotted?

Since the Swans beat United at home on 6th December on the back of five straight defeats, their results have picked up, with two further home wins. However, they have lost their last five away games, including Boxing Day’s 1-0 lost at league leaders Coventry City, and have only won twice away all season (one of which was at Sheffield Wednesday, which doesn’t count – even Oxford have won at Hillsborough).

A lot has changed since United sank so meekly to defeat at the Swansea.com stadium. Hopefully, now, the meek United can inherit the earth, or at least three points.

UTFO