Andy Thomas scores at Preston in September 1982

United travel to Preston on Friday night looking for a result that could lift them out of the relegation zone for the first time this year, following Saturday’s defeat of West Bromwich Albion that brought the side to within three points of the 21st-placed Baggies.

A trip to Deepdale can be daunting, but Oxford have a semi-decent record in Preston, having won four and drawn three of their 13 games there.

The first victory there arrived in August 1969, when Ken Skeen scored the only goal of the game in a Second Division (Championship) encounter. In April 1973, a John Fleming goal repeated the scoreline

After five winless visits, the next victory there arrived in September 1982, when goals from Trevor Hebberd and Andy Thomas (see top photo) earned a 2-1 win for the U’s in the Third Division.

The following October, United repeated the scoreline for their second consecutive Deepdale victory. On this occasion, Thomas and Steve Biggins scored the goals in a season that ultimately saw Oxford promoted to Division Two as champions.

Last season’s trip to Preston, in January 2025, ended in a 1-1 draw after Rúben Rodrigues gave the U’s a first-half lead. Will Keane equalised for the Lilywhites in the second half [Watch HERE].

You can see United’s full record against Preston HERE.

On This Date

Friday’s game is the 16th that United will have played on 6th March, of which 12 are away matches. The U’s have won five times on this date, all away from home.

After a 2-1 win at Chesterfield in the Southern League title-winning season in 1961, Oxford had to wait 21 years for their next win on 6th March, a 2-0 victory over Bristol City at Ashton Gate in 1982 in the Third Division.

That was the first of three consecutive wins on this date, with the next being two years later at Bramall Lane as Sheffield United went down 2-1, with the U’s on their way to promotion to Division Two. In 1990, John Durnin scored the only goal of the game in a Second Division trip to AFC Bournemouth [Watch HERE].

In 2007, Danny Rose scored the only goal of the game in a win at Southport in Oxford’s first season in the Conference [Watch HERE]. The last time the Yellows had an away game on 6th March was in 2012, when they drew a League Two game 2-2 at Shrewsbury Town [Watch HERE – full match].

You can see all United’s results on 6th March HERE.

The Match

Following United’s win over West Brom last weekend, there is a real feeling that Oxford can now escape relegation for the second successive season. It’s the hope that kills you.

Oxford are just three points behind the Baggies, two behind Leicester, and both teams appear to be in freefall. With Blackburn Rovers, Portsmouth, and Charlton Athletic all in poor form as well, it would only take a run of two or three consecutive wins for the picture to look a whole lot rosier. Compare that to what it would feel like if we’d lost to West Brom.

However, the problem for Oxford is that they have not had back-to-back wins all season. In fact, every time the team puts in a decent performance, it’s been followed by an ‘after the Lord Mayor’s show’ anti-climactic display. In order to stay up, that inconsistency has to end, and what better time to change the side’s fortunes than against a Preston side that is in something of a slump of their own.

The Lilywhites might be lying handily in 11th place in the Championship, but since losing goalkeeper Daniel Iverson to injury and Harrison Armstrong’s loan being terminated by Everton, they have won just one of their last nine Championship fixtures, including home defeats by Derby, Hull (3-0), and last weekend, 2-0 to Millwall, plus a home defeat by League One Wigan in the FA Cup, .

We have learned from bitter experience that a team on a bad run of form is not necessarily vulnerable when they play the U’s. Far too often this season, a side has looked atrocious until playing against United, when all of a sudden their stars align and they conjure up a previously absent performance to turn around their fortunes at Oxford’s expense.

So, does Matt Bloomfield stick or twist for this one? On the back of goalless draws at Coventry and Middlesbrough, it would certainly be tempting to play low-risk football, shut up shop and invite a side with considerably less quality than those two to break us down. The issue, though, is that in order to escape from the relegation dogfight, Oxford need wins. So, while playing for a point at Preston might produce a promise of a potential prize, pessimistically, it might also produce a punishment (okay, that’s enough alliteration).

Without knowing much about Preston’s formation or style of play (sorry), I would like to think that Bloomfield’s recent favoured formation of a flat four at the back will continue, as this would seem to be where the squad’s strength lies. The main question mark is whether or not Christ Makosso will regain his place after being dropped for disciplinary reasons against West Brom, with Michał Helik performing admirably on his return to the starting line-up.

The only other defensive question marks are around Ben Davies, who scored for the Under-21s, coincidentally at Preston on Monday, and Brodie Spencer and Ruben Roosken. Given Sam Long’s recent form and the attributes he brings to the side, I’d be surprised to see him dropped for Spencer should he be fit to return. Hidde ter Avest, signed as a right back, came off the bench on Saturday to replace Stan Mills on the wing, but I’d be astonished if he started there on Friday. Similarly, I can’t see Roosken threatening Jack Currie’s starting place just yet, even if the wingback formation is preferred.

Rumours abound that Jamie McDonnell might be fit to return on Friday, which would add an interesting dilemma to the midfield selection. Yunus Konak started against West Brom and had his best game since signing for the club, while Cameron Brannagan is only likely to be rested if he hasn’t yet recovered from the calf injury that saw him taken off in the second half on Saturday. So would Jamie Donley make way for McDonnell? And if Brannagan is absent, would Bloomfield turn to the more experienced Will Vaulks to replace him?

I suspect that Brannagan will play – after all, his leg wasn’t exactly hanging off against West Brom, which is probably what it would take for him to be absent, while if McDonnell is fit, he is likely to play in place of Konak, who might be better utilised off the bench anyway.

Of course, there remain question marks over the wingers. Mills seems to be Bloomfield’s preferred option on the right, especially while Przsemysłav Płacheta has been injured. We are given to understand that the Pole might be ready to resume, which will give the head coach something to ponder, but not, I think, this weekend.

On the opposite flank, Donley’s presence in the #10 role meant Myles Peart-Harris started as left winger against West Brom, being replaced by Aidomo Emakhu in the second half. Emakhu has gradually been getting better each game, while MPH seemed a bit off the pace on Saturday, possibly the result of being his third game in a week. However, I suspect MPH will get the nod again; after all, you don’t want to make too many changes to a winning side unless you have to.

Up top, Will Lankshear’s goal on Saturday means he is likely to get the nod to start again at Deepdale, despite Nik Prelec pushing him all the way for a starting place. Prelec does need to add goals to his game, and he obviously can’t do that while he’s on the bench, but for now Lankshear seems to carry the greater threat in front of goal. Mark Harris is now third in the pecking order, but could still have a role to play as a substitute to see out the game, should United be in a winning position towards the end.

Preston are eight points off the play-offs, but on current form that is a distant dream for Paul Heckingbottom and his staff. Clearly, they would be looking at the visit of Oxford as an opportunity to get their season back on track, but it’s the U’s with the greater need for the points, and that hunger might just be enough for the Yellows to pull off a shock win.

And it would be a shock, whatever our yellow-tinted specs might have us believe. Still, the side has to start putting a good run together soon, so why not start with three points from the Lilywhites? It’s certainly not impossible, although the team will have to have their levels at maximum ahead of a week that features two home games against two potential relegation rivals.

UTFO