Swansea end goal drought to beat Oxford
Posted Saturday, November 02, 2024 by PA
Swansea scored their first goals in more than nine hours as they beat Oxford 2-1 at the Kassam Stadium.
It was Oxford’s first home defeat of the season and they have now gone eight Championship matches without a win.
After failing to find the net throughout October, the Swans eventually ended their barren run in the 38th minute when Zan Vipotnik turned in Ronald’s cross from the right.
Substitute Florian Bianchini sealed victory for Swansea in the 80th minute when he ran on to Goncalo Franco’s pass and finished neatly from 16 yards.
Dane Scarlett halved the deficit for the U’s with a low drive two minutes from time but it was not enough.
Looking to bounce back after their 2-0 defeat at Sunderland, Oxford made three changes which included a full debut for summer signing Louie Sibley in midfield.
The Swans gave Wales international Joe Allen his first start of the campaign.
It was the visitors who forced the game’s first corners and from the second of them, on 16 minutes, Harry Darling had a free header which struck the back of an Oxford defender.
From the next one, delivered by Matt Grimes a minute later, Myles Peart-Harris’s header came back off the bar.
And after a positive run down the right by Josh Key, Franco then fired over from 20 yards.
The Welsh outfit were doing most of the pressing and the U’s had hardly mounted a meaningful attack in the opening half an hour.
Key’s runs were keeping Swansea on the front foot and he was instrumental in the move that ended with Slovenia international Vipotnik breaking the deadlock seven minutes before half-time, with United left-back Ciaron Brown crucially slipping as he failed to cut out a pass.
The goal goaded the U’s into some urgency and Tyler Goodrham twice went close, seeing a 20-yard shot saved and another goal-bound effort striking the top of Darling’s head.
Oxford also struck the woodwork just before the break when Ruben Rodrigues headed a right-wing corner against the top of the bar.
United brought on Idris El Mizouni to replace Sibley for the second half and it almost paid immediate dividends as El Mizouni fired in a left-wing cross that Mark Harris scooped over from eight yards at full stretch.
At the other end it needed a brilliant reaction save by Jamie Cumming to keep out Vipotnik’s close-range snap shot.
The home side had much more possession in the second half and two subs combined to give them a real opportunity to equalise on 72 minutes.
Scarlett released Malcolm Ebiowei in space to his right but Ebiowei sliced high and wide.
Bianchini’s smart finish provided some breathing space for Luke Williams’ men, but the away fans still had some nervous moments.
After Scarlett pulled a late goal back, Greg Leigh’s glancing header just evaded the far post.
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