• Wed. Feb 19th, 2025

Initial reaction from U’s boss after impressive win against Rovers

Byoxfordnewspaper

Jan 19, 2025

GARY Rowett was impressed with the number of positives shown by his Oxford United side as they claimed a 1-0 win at home against Blackburn Rovers.

Cameron Brannagan scored the only goal of the game, slamming in a 20-yard free kick midway through the second half.

United then held firm and restricted Sky Bet Championship play-off hopefuls Rovers in terms of opportunities created.

U’s head coach Rowett said: “I was super impressed with the players. I thought it would be a different type of challenge, a team that are in the top six coming here on the back of a good result.

“It’s one of those games where I’m quite keen to see how we’re going to handle it and how we’re going to play.

“It’s been a while since we’ve been at home. I think away from home, where you perhaps don’t have as much control and don’t need to show as much quality on the ball at times, but I wanted us to do that today.

“I thought we did it really well. I thought our build-up play was good, and I thought we started really brightly. We looked like we had a threat.

“We maybe had a 10-minute spell where we started to be overconfident and invite a little bit of pressure and those sorts of pressing moments, and we got caught in our half a little bit.

“And then we went back to mixing it up again and hitting the odd diagonal and playing in behind occasionally to then open space.

“There were loads of good quality moments, and they’re a tough side to play against, they don’t give many goals or chances away, and if we were going to win the game, it was going to be a bit of magic.

“Cammy stepped up after good play from Dembs [Siriki Dembele] and drilled one into the top corner. It was a wonderful finish and worthy of wining any game of football.”

Rowett added: “That’s how we want to play in general. I think sometimes when you go away from home, you perhaps don’t feel as confident to risk things and players maybe take the safe option, which is going longer earlier.

“But at home, I thought we mixed the game up really well and showed some really nice composure.

“I thought Dembs coming into the side was a gamble in as much he can be a little bit loose, which is his strength, but you maybe run the risk of the structure, but I thought he played it really well.

“I thought there were a lot of good things. The midfielders were really good, Michal Helik coming into the team I thought was absolutely outstanding, and Browny [Ciaron Brown] alongside him as well.

“There were so many good things and so many good performances, it was whether we could go and win the game.

“I’d like us to maybe not invite so much pressure late on, but when we did, we threw bodies and threw everything at it to make sure the ball didn’t go in the back of the net.”