Oxford United

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Oxford United boss Gary Rowett spoke to BBC Radio Oxford after their 3-2 win over Luton stretched his unbeaten start in charge to seven league games.

"I felt this would be our toughest test in some ways. I hadn't watched them play," he said.

"They're a little bit different in terms of what they do. They're very direct and they play off second balls.

"It stretches the game, it opens the game and it means that if you turn the ball over, you end up running back 30 or 40 yards and having to defend.

"A little bit too much space for my liking, we didn't use the pockets as well as we have done in the first few games but I think that was partly down to Luton blocking them and creating those limited opportunities for us to get there."

Oxford United welcome strugglers Luton Town on Tuesday evening, looking to extend their unbeaten run under manager Gary Rowett to seven games.

The U's have won four and drawn two since Rowett took over following their 1-0 win over Blackburn Rovers on Saturday, which moved them up to 15th.

Luton are 23rd in the Championship and without a win in five league games (L4 D1), but did earn a goalless draw at home to Preston North End in new boss Matt Bloomfield's first game in charge at the weekend.

• Oxford United have failed to win any of their past 16 EFL games against Luton Town (D6 L10), scoring 15 goals in that time and conceding 31.

• Luton have won each of their past two away league games against Oxford and will be looking to win three in succession against them in the Football League for the first time.

• Oxford are unbeaten in each of their past three midweek league games (W2 D1), while they are unbeaten at home in such games this term (W2 D1).

• Luton have lost each of their past 10 away league games; only twice in the EFL have the Hatters endured longer losing runs on the road, losing 12 successive matches in March 1928 and 11 in February 2020.

• 25% of the goals Luton have conceded in away league matches this season have come in the final 10 minutes of games (7/28).

You can now listen to the latest episode of Oxford United's The Dub podcast.

In this week's episode the team chat about January transfer dealings, new signing Michał Helik, Dane Scarlett being recalled by Tottenham and previews for the upcoming Luton and Stoke matches.

Make sure to subscribe and download all your favourite episodes.

Click here to find all episodes of The Dub podcast.

Dan George, Nizaar Kinsella and Jerome Sale
BBC Sport

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Tottenham Hotspur have recalled striker Dane Scarlett from his loan spell with Championship side Oxford United.

Scarlett, 20, joined the U's in August and scored four goals in 20 Championship appearances.

Last week, Oxford announced the signing of Tom Bradshaw from Millwall, a striker whom new boss Gary Rowett had previously worked with at the Lions.

Bradshaw's addition could have been seen by Spurs as another name in front of their player getting minutes.

Rather than add Scarlett to their current ranks, Spurs are said to be keen on finding another loan for the striker before the transfer deadline.

Scarlett's loan at Oxford was the third of his career having previously spent time at Portsmouth in League One and also Ipswich Town last season.

The academy graduate has made 17 senior appearances for Tottenham.

'Scarlett's goals could be crucial to Oxford's survival' - analysis

BBC Radio Oxford's Oxford United commentator Jerome Sale:

Scarlett had a difficult start with Oxford and was just not getting the game time that he or Spurs would've wanted, but he did score goals which might yet prove to be crucial if United are to survive in the Championship.

Scarlett was a good performer when he got game time and his four goals were all very well taken, actually quite impressive.

His overall contribution in games actually got better as his time went on, he started to press more, and the work rate that has been questioned elsewhere certainly could not be questioned since Gary Rowett came in.

It sounds like he is going out on loan somewhere else and that team will benefit.

I would add there is not devastation at the decision by Spurs at Oxford, there is more disappointment as they definitely wanted to keep Scarlett.

It remains to be seen whether the U's will look to directly replaced him, my hunch is that they will not unless something extraordinary presents itself, owing to the fact that they now have Bradshaw in.

That signing was probably the final straw as far as Spurs were concerned for their man getting game time.

Oxford also have Ole Romeny, and are heavily linked with Hull City's Ryan Longman, although they are over the top of their 25-man squad limit as it currently stands.

Leeds United, Sunderland, Coventry City and Swansea City are all tracking Oxford United midfielder Tyler Goodrham. (Football Insider), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Sunday's full gossip column.

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Gary Rowett said Cameron Brannagan's unstoppable free-kick, which secured a 1-0 win over Blackburn Rovers, was a "bit of magic" worthy of winning any game.

Speaking to BBC Radio Oxford, Rowett said: "If we are going to win a game it was going to need a little bit of magic and after we got the wrong side of an offside which I don't think was offside, Cammy steps up and drills one in the top corner."

A fourth victory in six league games continued Rowett's unbeaten run in charge since taking over on 22 December.

And he maintained it was the best performance from his side since he took over the reins.

"I thought our build up play was good, I thought we started really brightly and we looked like we had a threat," said Rowett. "We had a 10 minute spell where we were perhaps overconfident and got caught in our half a little bit.

"But there were loads of quality moments against a tough side who don't give many chances away.

"For the team and to play against a good side like Blackburn and control large parts of the game and create some good opportunities was encouraging."

Rowett admitted that he was hoping to bring in at least one more signing in the transfer window but suggested there would be a net decrease in his squad over January with some players shipped out on loan.

"We will probably try and add one more but we don't want to work with a squad of 26 players because it is hard to retain that feeling and that happiness," he added.

"We've got some really good lads who will get opportunities to play some football but we are a little bit heavy on numbers."

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Tom Bradshaw was a "great servant" for Millwall and moves to Oxford United with the club's best wishes, says head coach Alex Neil.

The 32-year-old completed his move to the U's on Thursday after six-and-a-half years at The Den, having initially joined on loan in August 2018.

He scored 45 goals in 211 appearances for the club and has now reunited with former Lions boss Gary Rowett at the Kassam Stadium.

"Tom's been a great servant over the years for Millwall. He's scored goals, he's worked tirelessly at the top end of the pitch, and he goes with our best wishes, really," Neil told BBC Radio London.

"He wanted to further his career and continue to play. I think he's got the opportunity now to do so at the same level as we're currently at at the moment, so it was a great chance for him.

"Tom's in the last year of his deal here; he's now been given an extra whatever he's been given at Oxford, and he'll be pleased with that."

Oxford next hosts Blackburn Rovers in the league on Saturday, with Millwall facing Blackburn Rovers at The Den.

Oxford United welcome Blackburn to the Kassam Stadium on Saturday (15:00 GMT) seeking to continue their fine form under Gary Rowett.

The Us are unbeaten in five, claiming 11 points, ahead of the visit of Rovers, who ended a five match winless run, during which they claimed just two points, with Wednesday's 3-0 win over Portsmouth, which took them up to fifth.

• Oxford United have lost each of their past three league games against Blackburn Rovers, conceding 2+ goals in each of those defeats.

• Blackburn Rovers have lost just one of their past 12 league games against Oxford (W5 D6), a 3-1 defeat in December 1990.

• Oxford have won their past two home league games and could win three in a row for the first time since their opening three games at the Kassam Stadium this season.

• Blackburn Rovers have kept a clean sheet (3) or conceded exactly once (4) in their past seven away games (W4 D1 L2), their longest streak without conceding multiple goals on the road since April 2018 (8 in a row).

• Oxford United manager Gary Rowett has won just two of 12 career league games against Blackburn Rovers (D4 L6), 1-0 at home with both Birmingham in October 2016 and Millwall in July 2020.

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Oxford United midfielder Will Vaulks scored his first goal in almost two years to put the U's ahead in their Championship match against bottom dwellers Plymouth Argyle on Tuesday.

Forward Mark Harris, who was formerly part of the same Cardiff City squad as his 31-year-old team-mate, passed to Vaulks to allow the midfielder to unleash a powerful strike from distance.

Plymouth's Rami Al Hajj then scored the equaliser in the 1-1 draw at Home Park but that failed to take the shine off the moment for the Oxford goalscorer.

"It's been a long time coming," Vaulks told BBC Radio Oxford.

"Sparky [Harris' nickname] remembers me scoring goals at Cardiff so I had a feeling he was going to set me, whereas some of the other boys probably wouldn't have because they haven't seen me score.

"It's nice to know I can still do it."

The point saw Oxford's unbeaten run extend to five games, with two home fixtures at the Kassam Stadium next.

The first sees the U's welcome seventh-placed Blackburn Rovers on Saturday before hosting relegation-threatened Luton Town on Tuesday.

"It'll be nice to be back at home, somewhere we've been really strong this season," Vaulks added.

"It needs to continue. We've got to have good home form to stay in this league."

Miron Muslic will take charge of his first game as Plymouth Argyle boss when the Championship's bottom side welcome Oxford United to Home Park on Tuesday (19:45 GMT).

The Pilgrims are winless in their past 11 league games (D5 L6), although did stun Premier League side Brentford with a 1-0 win in the FA Cup third round on Saturday.

By contrast, the 17th-placed U's are unbeaten in four league games since Gary Rowett took charge (W3 D1) but were dumped out of the FA Cup by League One Exeter at the weekend.

• Plymouth Argyle have won four of their past five league games against Oxford United (L1), though that sole defeat did come in the reverse fixture earlier this season (2-0).

• Oxford United have lost each of their past two away league games against Plymouth 1-0 and could lose three such matches in succession for the first time since August 1989.

• Plymouth have drawn four of their past six home league games (W1 L1), while only Carrow Road (49) and Hillsborough (42) have seen more Championship goals this season than Home Park (39).

• Oxford are unbeaten in each of their past four league games (W3 D1), with no other Championship side picking up more points than them in the competition since Boxing Day.

• All four of Ruben Rodrigues' Championship goals for Oxford this season have come away from home, netting in each of their past two such games at Millwall and Preston.

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Oxford United boss Gary Rowett says he expects the club to appeal against the red card Tyler Goodrham was shown in the FA Cup defeat at Exeter on Saturday.

Goodrham was sent off for elbowing Jake Richards in the face as the Grecians midfielder pulled him back in the 81st minute.

"Tyler at this moment in time is going to be unavailable, I'd imagine for three games, so that's a bit of a blow," Rowett told BBC Radio Oxford.

"I will speak to the club this morning but I think we will appeal it. I think when you watch it back, he [Goodrham] has tried to free himself.

"It's a straight arm, the arm has caught the player just under the chin. I don't think it was malicious but I think proving that he hasn't done it with that intent is obviously very difficult.

"There's two very different things, we know the type of player he is, but whether a referee is going to change his mind or whether a panel is going to change that for him. But I think we will probably look to appeal that."

If Goodrham's red card is not overturned, he will serve a three-match suspension and miss Oxford's trip to Plymouth on Tuesday night, as well as home games against Blackburn and Luton.