FT: Oxford United 1-0 Peterborough United
Two sides playing in first leg of League One play-offs
Elliott Moore's second half header gives hosts lead
Winner will face either Barnsley or Bolton Wanderers in final
Bolton lead Barnsley 3-1 headed into Tuesday's second leg
Oxford take advantage into Wednesday's second leg
Oxford v Peterborough (19:45 BST)
Oxford head coach Des Buckingham goes with the same team that started the 2-1 win at Exeter seven days ago that secured their play-off spot.
Much will be expected of 19-goal top-scorer Mark Harris and midfield anchor Cameron Brannagan, their set-piece specialist.
Image source, BBC SportOxford v Peterborough (19:45 BST)
Dan George
BBC Sport at the Kassam Stadium
There's an air of excitement at the Kassam Stadium as Oxford United begin their play-off campaign against Peterborough United tonight.
Some home supporters shed tears when they found out if they had tickets for this match, even U's manager Des Buckingham revealed he had some friends and family down for this home tie.
The three stands will be sold out and right behind their respective teams come kick-off. It promises to be a special atmosphere.
FT: Barnsley 1-3 Bolton
Image source, Rex FeaturesThe EFL play-offs got under way last night with Bolton's 3-1 success at managerless Barnsley., external
The away side took the lead when Dion Charles converted Paris Maghoma's wicked cross in the first half.
Charles converted from the penalty spot after Josh Sheehan was clattered in the area by Tykes goalkeeper Liam Roberts.
Sub Sam Cosgrove got the home side back in the tie with a comfortable finish from inside the area but Randell Williams' late corner went straight in to leave Bolton, who finished three places and 11 points better off than Barnsley in the table, in the boxseat.
Wanderers welcome the Reds for the return leg on Tuesday.
Oxford v Peterborough (19:45 BST)
Peterborough boss Darren Ferguson has dismissed last year's promotion heartbreak as a "one-off" as they embark on the play-offs for a second successive season.
His side blew a four-goal lead from the first leg against Sheffield Wednesday 12 months ago and then lost on penalties after the tie ended 5-5.
That gave them an unwanted piece of play-off history as no team had ever failed to make the final having won the first leg by more than two goals.
Posh face Oxford United this time and in a reversal to last year, will be at home for the second leg.
"What we've got to do now is make sure it's an unforgettable season, rather than just a good one," Ferguson told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire.
The Scot is in his fourth spell as Peterborough manager and is hoping to lead them to promotion for the fifth time.
It was that defeat by Sheffield Wednesday which persuaded him to stay on after initially agreeing a deal only to the end of last season.
"The performance at home was incredible. It was nearly perfect, it should have been more than four," he said.
"You go into the second leg and we just could not suck the energy away from Sheffield Wednesday. Every time we quietened the fans, they scored.
"You just need that bit of luck and we didn't get it right at the death. It was a one-off and unfortunately we were on the end of it."
Oxford v Peterborough (19:45 BST)
Image source, Rex FeaturesOxford United boss Des Buckingham wants his side to maintain their "momentum" as they go into the League One play-offs.
Buckingham, a former youth player and coach at Oxford, returned to the club in November after Liam Manning left to take over at Bristol City with the U's second in the table.
After a tricky spell of one win in 10 league games through January and February they come into the post-season after claiming fifth on the final day by beating Exeter City, their fifth victory in the final eight matches.
"This is something we have worked extremely hard for to get here," Buckingham told BBC Radio Oxford.
"It’s been a challenging season with lots of ups and down but we’re now playing some really good football and have some momentum behind us."
Oxford v Peterborough (19:45 BST)
The football keeps coming on this Super Saturday.
The climax of the Championship, the ups and downs in the Premier League, the Scottish Premiership, Women's Super League, non-league play-off finals.
And there is still more!
We're all set for the second League One play-off semi-final between Oxford and Peterborough.
Both will be dreaming of trips to the likes of Sheffield Wednesday, Sheffield United and Sunderland next season.
At least one of them will be left to focus on trips to Burton, Mansfield and the rest.
Elliott Moore of Oxford United celebrates scoring the opening goal with team-mates
Elliot Moore's headed goal ensured Oxford United will take a narrow lead into the second leg of their League One play-off semi-final after victory over Peterborough at the Kassam Stadium.
After a goalless first half, it was captain Moore who opened the scoring for the U's, heading home following a corner to prompt loud celebrations from the home supporters.
The Posh did react to going behind, forcing the U’s deeper and dominating possession late on in the game, but were unable to to find an equaliser.
The two will meet for the return leg on Wednesday at Peterborough's Weston Homes Stadium.
Both sets of players entered the field to a party atmosphere at the Kassam, balloons thrown into the air with the three stands bathed in glorious early May sunshine.
Oxford, who won 5-0 when the sides met in the league last month, attacked the game with an intensity that matched the atmosphere, raining shots on Jed Steer’s goal but were unable to find the back of the net.
Josh Murphy was a constant threat down the left-hand side for Des Buckingham’s side, causing Jadel Katongo all sorts of issues and often beating his man to force a cross into the box or shot on goal.
Peterborough boss Darren Ferguson noticed the need for change at the break, introducing Kwame Poku, who fired narrowly over the bar just minutes after his substitution.
It was the Yellows who took the lead, though, when Josh Murphy’s deep corner found Cameron Brannagan, who looped a header high to the back post where Moore was waiting to score his second of the season.
The visitors reacted well to going behind, growing in confidence and forcing Oxford deeper and deeper into their own box as the clock ran down.
Ricky-Jade Jones was given a glorious chance to level but completely misjudged Poku's delivery, the ball deflecting off him for a goal kick.
Despite their late pressure, the Posh - who won their first leg of their play-off semi-final with Sheffield Wednesday last season 4-0 only to eventually lose on penalties - were unable to find an equaliser, leaving Oxford with a slender advantage to take to Cambridgeshire.
Oxford United boss Des Buckingham told BBC Radio Oxford:
"It’s an advantage but we’re only halfway through. Overall, I’m really happy with what I saw tonight.
"If we can take the same energy levels that we had tonight into Wednesday then it’ll be good.
"There’s always going to be moments in a game against this side that you need to weather a storm and I thought they we did pretty good with what they gave today."
Peterborough manager Darren Ferguson told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire:
"It was a tight game, I didn’t think anything would be decided tonight and we take it to Wednesday’s game.
"To be honest, out of possession we looked really good tonight, in possession we weren’t good enough.
"We got though the opening period well, back home on Wednesday - it’ll be a special atmosphere."
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 46 | 28 | 13 | 5 | 78 | 41 | 37 | 97 |
| |
| 2 | 46 | 28 | 8 | 10 | 78 | 37 | 41 | 92 |
| |
| 3 | 46 | 25 | 12 | 9 | 86 | 51 | 35 | 87 |
| |
| 4 | 46 | 25 | 9 | 12 | 89 | 61 | 28 | 84 |
| |
| 5 | 46 | 22 | 11 | 13 | 79 | 56 | 23 | 77 |
| |
| 6 | 46 | 21 | 13 | 12 | 82 | 64 | 18 | 76 |
| |
| 7 | 46 | 20 | 14 | 12 | 65 | 40 | 25 | 74 |
| |
| 8 | 46 | 21 | 10 | 15 | 65 | 48 | 17 | 73 |
| |
| 9 | 46 | 19 | 14 | 13 | 57 | 46 | 11 | 71 |
| |
| 10 | 46 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 60 | 55 | 5 | 65 |
| |
| 11 | 46 | 18 | 11 | 17 | 53 | 55 | -2 | 65 |
| |
| 12 | 46 | 20 | 10 | 16 | 63 | 56 | 7 | 62 |
| |
| 13 | 46 | 17 | 10 | 19 | 46 | 61 | -15 | 61 |
| |
| 14 | 46 | 17 | 9 | 20 | 57 | 66 | -9 | 60 |
| |
| 15 | 46 | 16 | 9 | 21 | 52 | 68 | -16 | 57 |
| |
| 16 | 46 | 11 | 20 | 15 | 64 | 65 | -1 | 53 |
| |
| 17 | 46 | 16 | 11 | 19 | 68 | 70 | -2 | 53 |
| |
| 18 | 46 | 12 | 12 | 22 | 39 | 61 | -22 | 48 |
| |
| 19 | 46 | 13 | 9 | 24 | 35 | 67 | -32 | 48 |
| |
| 20 | 46 | 12 | 10 | 24 | 39 | 67 | -28 | 46 |
| |
| 21 | 46 | 12 | 8 | 26 | 41 | 65 | -24 | 44 |
| |
| 22 | 46 | 10 | 13 | 23 | 49 | 72 | -23 | 43 |
| |
| 23 | 46 | 10 | 11 | 25 | 41 | 74 | -33 | 41 |
| |
| 24 | 46 | 7 | 9 | 30 | 41 | 81 | -40 | 30 |
|
Manager: Des Buckingham
Formation: 4 - 1 - 4 - 1
Manager: Darren Ferguson
Formation: 4 - 2 - 3 - 1
Manager: Des Buckingham
Formation: 4 - 1 - 4 - 1
Manager: Darren Ferguson
Formation: 4 - 2 - 3 - 1
League One
All competitions
All competitions
All competitions
Oxford United have only won one of their last eight games against Peterborough in all competitions (D2 L5), though that win came in the most recent encounter at the Kassam Stadium, winning 5-0.
Peterborough have lost on six of their last 10 trips to Oxford in all competitions (W3 D1), though only once in their previous four visits (W2 D1).
This is Oxford’s third time in the EFL play-offs, after losing the League One play-off final to Wycombe in 2019-20 and going out in the League One semi-finals to Blackpool in 2020-21.
This will be Peterborough’s sixth time in the EFL play-offs – after earning promotion on each of the first three occasions (1991-92, 1999-00 and 2010-11), the Posh have been eliminated in the semi-finals in both 2013-14 to Leyton Orient and 2022-23 to Sheffield Wednesday.
Peterborough (636) and Oxford (424) are two of the three sides in League One this season to have recorded the most 10+ open play passing sequences, while only Peterborough (83) have had more direct attacks than Oxford (78).
Only Nathaniel Méndez-Laing (16) provided more assists in League One this season than Peterborough’s Harrison Burrows (14), while he also created the most chances (115) and had the highest expected assists total in the division (12.3).
