Ken Skeen smashes home as United beat Watford in September 1970

The 2025/26 season is rapidly drawing to its conclusion and, with games running out, United’s season remains on a knife’s edge. Oxford take on Watford on Saturday, with just three home games remaining.

The last time the U’s beat Watford at home was just over a year ago, in March 2025, when Siriki Dembélé scored the only goal of the game to keep United’s survival hopes alive [Watch HERE]. However, you’d have to go back to September 1970 for the previous home win over Watford (see main photo) when goals from Roy Clayton and Ken Skeen earned the U’s a rare win over the Hornets.

That waws United’s third home win in a row against Watford, with the U’s also having won 1-0 in February 1968 through Mick Bullock’s goal and 2-1 in 1969 thanks to strikes from Skeen and Colin Clarke. Unfortunately, those are the only four times that Oxford have beaten the Hornets in the Shire.

In contrast, Watford have beaten Oxford six times in this fair city, while a massive 11 encounters have ended as draws.

The side’s very first meeting, in November 1965, was a 2-1 win for the visitors, with United’s top scorer Graham Atkinson scoring Oxford’s consolation. In January 1971 there was a famous FA Cup fourth-round tie that ended 1-1, with the wall at the front of the London Road collapsing during a goalmouth scramble. Thankfully no one was seriously hurt (and equally thankfully, United won the replay).

The wall came a-tumbling down (January 1971)

The side’s first Oxfordshire meeting in the top flight was almost exactly 40 years to the day before this weekend’s clash, on 9th April 1986, with John Aldridge’s goal securing a 1-1 draw at the Manor. A 3-1 defeat the following season was followed by another 1-1 draw in November 1987, United’s last season at the top table [Watch HERE].

United’s worst home defeat to Watford came on the final day of the 1988/89 season, when the visitors won 4-0. They met again shortly afterwards, as Oxford’s first home game of the following season ended 1-1 thanks to John Durnin’s goal [Watch HERE].

The sides’ last meeting at the Manor was in March 1999 in a game that ended goalless [Watch HERE], while before last season the sides had already met once at the Kassam Stadium, in a League Cup tie in September 2020 that ended all square, but which Watford won on penalties [Watch HERE].

You can see Oxford’s full record against Watford HERE.

On This Date

United have played just 13 times on 11th April, winning six and losing only three games on this date (in case you were wondering, the other four games were draws).

In fact, the very first United game on this date, on Good Friday 1952, ended 1-1 against Guildford City at the Manor, while Headington’s first win came a year later as they won 3-2 away to Welsh sweet manufacturers Lovell’s Athletic.

The club’s first five 11th April games all came in the Southern League, but the first Football League match on this date was a 2-0 win over Lincoln City at the Manor in 1964. In 1966, Oxford lost 2-1 at Hull City, which was the last time the U’s lost on this date.

A 3-2 home win over Plymouth in 1979 was followed in 1987 by a 1-1 draw with Newcastle United at the Manor in the First Division.

In 1992, United travelled to Derby and came away with a point after a 2-2 draw [Watch HERE], and six years later, it was Swindon Town that were put to the sword courtesy of a 2-1 win for the U’s at the Manor [Watch HERE].

In 2009, Oxford and Wrexham were both fighting it out in the Conference, with the Yellows coming out on top thanks to James Constable’s 25th goal of the season [Watch HERE]. The last time United had a game on 11th April, it was in 2015 at AFC Wimbledon: a goalless draw [Watch HERE].

You can see all of Oxford’s 11th April results HERE.

The Game

Are you a glass half full person, or a glass half empty type? If the former, you will look at United’s recent form and bask in the glow of just one defeat in the last seven games, and that against a Southampton side that is looking at making a late charge for the automatic promotion places.

If, on the other hand, you’re less positive, you will look at United’s even more recent form and wallow in the gloom of four games without a win, including points unnecessarily dropped against Charlton, Hull, and most recently (and arguably most disappointingly) Portsmouth.

We here at Rage Online are of the opinion that half a glass of water is there to be drunk (preferably topped up with a nice Scotch whisky), and as such we care nothing for such metaphors. So we will look at Saturday’s game against Watford in isolation, rather than as another stepping stone to ultimate survival or relegation (there is no third option, Trump-inspired apocalypse notwithstanding).

It is true that, inevitable defeat at Southampton aside, United’s recent results do not represent a return that U’s fans would have been hoping for, although they weren’t that far off. The team would have beaten Charlton were it not for a crazy decision by Ciaron Brown to concede a needless penalty; the side dominated against Hull, who required an inspired performance from goalkeeper Dillon Phillips and a late miss by Mark Harris; while you would have expected them to hold out against 10-man Portsmouth when 2-1 up with five minutes remaining, only for the defence to switch off at exactly the wrong moment.

However, with results elsewhere meaning that Leicester, Pompey, and even West Brom, are also still in the thick of the relegation battle, it means that the Yellows still have an increasingly slight chance of playing Championship football next season.

It does make the Watford game have a significance it otherwise wouldn’t, as the side can’t rely on the others failing to pick up points, so the team has to be looking at winning this, and the other two home games against Wrexham and Sheffield Wednesday, while still hoping to pick up at least a point from the two remaining away games, at Derby and Millwall.

At least the Watford game only has jeopardy attached to it from Oxford’s point of view, as the Hertfordshire side currently lie in 10th place, nine points off the play offs and so, realistically, have little to play for. Not that anyone should underestimate the Hornets, who are a good Championship side with some good Championship players.

For Oxford, a lot depends on who is available and on form. Jack Currie was unavailable over the Easter games and may not be risked yet, although he is back in training. Although in Brodie Spencer the side has a great back-up option, it does make the back line have less depth than would otherwise be optimal.

Hidde ter Avest came on at half time at Fratton Park and played well enough to suggest that he could keep his shirt, not that Sam Long has done anything wrong, while in Michał Helik and Ciaron Brown the centre of defence is very solid, even though both have their weaknesses. Christ Makosso must be ruing turning up late for the West Brom game, as he has been unable to get back into the side at Helik’s expense, while there has been no sign of Ben Davies to challenge Brown’s position.

Yunus Konak was replaced by Will Vaulks at the break at Portsmouth but, unless he’s carrying an injury, you would have thought that the young Turk will return to the starting line-up on Saturday. Cameron Brannagan is a shoe-in to keep his place (what are the odds on a third successive home penalty now that the dam has broken?), while Jamie Donley should be well-enough rested now after his Northern Ireland endeavours to be preferred in the #10 role.

There is no apparent reason why Will Lankshear wouldn’t be the preferred starting striker, having scored his 10th goal in all competitions on Monday although, as ever, the bigger question marks are over the wingers.

Stan Mills was outstanding at Pompey, so one would expect him to retain his place, but Myles Peart-Harris, not for the first time, was slightly off it. Is it time for Przsemysłav Płacheta to return to the starting XI? Is Aidomo Emakhu fit and ready to come back in to show what he can do? Personally, I’d err towards Shemmy as his pace frightens defenders and forces them into errors, even if his end product isn’t always great.

What’s most important, though, is that the crowd shows up, as it has in all the recent games. We know that we can make a difference – the players have said it often enough – and it is at this stage, as things start getting nervy, that we can be that metaphorical 12th Man. We can’t do anything about other teams’ results, but let’s be there to try to help the boys over the line.

UTFO