Managerless Oxford strike late to beat Southampton

Oxford United vs Southampton; Sky Bet Championship Oxford United vs Southampton. Sky Bet Championship. The Kassam StadiumAttendance11,500. Oxford United 2 T Goodrham (23rd minute) S Mills (89th minute) Southampton 1 T Harwood-Bellis (29th minute) Oxford United 2-1 Southampton: Stanley Mills scores late winner for managerless U's Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Oxford United and Southampton at the Kassam Stadium on Boxing Day; Stanley Mills scores late winner as managerless U's sink Saints following Gary Rowett deparature. Friday 26 December 2025 17:13, UK Stanley Mills scored a brilliant individual winning goal a minute from time to give managerless Oxford a 2-1 victory over Southampton at the Kassam Stadium. Recalled midfielder Tyler Goodrham rifled the U's in front in the 23rd minute with a thumping drive from 20 yards as Saints struggled to clear a corner. Southampton levelled six minutes later when centre-back Taylor Harwood-Bellis headed Leo Scienza's free-kick from the right past Jamie Cumming and into the bottom left corner of the net. Got Sky? Watch your EFL team on the Sky Sports app Not got Sky? Stream your EFL team with no contract Live EFL on Sky Sports+ & how to watch | Get more EFL to your phone with WhatsApp The match looked destined to finish as a draw but Mills had other ideas, running with the ball 50 yards, taking a return pass from Will Lankshear, then hitting a low angled shot under keeper Gavin Bazunu. Craig Short was placed in temporary charge of Oxford following the sacking of Gary Rowett on Tuesday, with the team having won just one of their last 10 matches. This was the first league meeting between these clubs since a goalless draw in the top flight back in April 1988. Short made several changes from the defeat at Charlton before Christmas, bringing back Jack Currie, Luke Harris, Mills and Przemyslaw Placheta, as well as Goodrham. Harris delivered the game's first shot, from distance, but it was a comfortable save for Bazunu. Saints started to have a lot of the ball, and they had shouts for a penalty turned down when Scienza was sandwiched by two Oxford defenders on a run into the box. The visitors forced the first corner, in the 20th minute, and when it was only half-cleared, Finn Azaz blazed over from a good position nine yards out. Three minutes later, from Goodrham's own flag kick that was only half headed out to just outside the area, the midfielder smashed a high shot past Bazunu's right hand. But Tonda Eckert's men did not take long to get back on level terms, thanks to the quality of Scienza's free-kick delivery and a clinical Harwood-Bellis finish. Scienza was looking a class act, and the Brazilian took Azaz's pass and hit a left-footed shot against a post, despite the presence of two close markers. Scienza then had a header saved, as the visitors finished the half on top. Oxford began the second period with Placheta firing...

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