Oxford United Moves Out of Relegation Zone

Oxford United secured a crucial 3-1 victory over Preston North End at Deepdale, moving out of the bottom three in the Championship. Goals from Michal Helik, Will Lankshear, and Ciaron Brown were instrumental in the win, with Milutin Osmajic scoring for Preston.

Oxford United boss Matt Bloomfield expressed his delight with the victory and performance but noted that they could have scored more goals. 'I was really pleased with the performance,' Bloomfield told Sky Sports. 'Back-to-back wins for the first time in over a year, the lads are enjoying it.'

Bloomfield emphasized the importance of staying focused on performances rather than getting emotional about the relegation situation. 'We don't want to get too emotional about the situation, we want to focus on the performances and then hopefully we'll be able to enjoy more nights like this,' he said.

Key Points from the Match

• Oxford United produced 1.74 expected goals (xG) from 15 shots, outperforming Preston North End's 0.93 xG from 13 attempts.
• The win halted Preston's play-off ambitions and temporarily moved Oxford out of the relegation zone.
• Goalscorer Will Lankshear highlighted the team's spirit and fight, saying, 'It's massive, we have failed to put back-to-back performances in and it's something we have worked towards.'