Oxford United vs Watford. Sky Bet Championship.
The Kassam StadiumAttendance11,535.
Oxford United 1-0 Watford: Siriki Dembele's late goal dents Hornets' play-off hopes
Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Oxford United and Watford at the Kassam Stadium on Saturday; Siriki Dembele strikes late to dent the play-off hopes of Tom Cleverley's Hornets
Saturday 15 March 2025 18:35, UK
Siriki Dembele struck eight minutes from time to give Oxford a crucial 1-0 victory over 10-playerWatford and their first win in 10 Championship matches.
The winger fired home right-footed from 10 yards after referee Bobby Madley played a good advantage when Mark Harris was fouled.
It was Dembele's first goal for the club and came just three minutes after Watford had James Abankwah sent off for a second bookable offence when he fouled Przemy Placheta.
The result is a blow to the Hornets' hopes of reaching the play-offs but it was an afternoon when they just did not have their shooting boots on - firing a succession of efforts high or wide.
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In a largely scrappy encounter at a windy Kassam Stadium, there was plenty of endeavour on show from both sides but not a great deal of quality.
Oxford boss Gary Rowett made five changes to the side that lost 2-1 at Hull on Wednesday, with Ben Nelson, Cameron Brannagan and Dembele among those returning.
With Sheffield United, Leeds and Sunderland due to come to the Kassam Stadium in the remaining five home matches, the U's knew this was a massive fixture in their hopes of avoiding relegation.
It was an open encounter at the start with Tom Ince having an early effort from 20 yards deflect over the bar and United's Polish winger Placheta firing wide from a similar distance after bursting past a defender.
The home side closed down well and were quick in the tackle all over the pitch to make it difficult for the Hornets although Giorgi Chakvetadze did go close for them with a 25-yard free-kick over the wall.
Moussa Sissoko managed to run behind the home defence but keeper Jamie Cumming did enough to put him off his shot, and Tom Dele-Bashiru hit a fierce drive straight into Cumming's chest.
At the other end, centre-half Nelson met Brannagan's corner with a powerful header but directed it a yard over the bar.
A lot of the play was bitty, and twice visiting keeper Egil Selvik made awkward clearances from back passes when put under pressure.
Watford finished the first half strongly, with Cumming saving from Francisco Sierralta's header and Ince's low shot.
Placheta created an opening at the start of the second half with a right-wing cross that Dembele controlled skillfully only to stab his shot wide from beyond the far post.
Edo Kayembe blazed over but he was not alone as two of his Hornets teammates then also fired wide.
Watford brought on Vakoun Bayo midway through the second half to try to get a breakthrough - but it was Dembele who found it at the other end.
The managers
Oxford's Gary Rowett:
"That was a very welcome three points after a difficult game. The opposition were difficult and there was a swirling wind, so it felt hard to settle on the ball.
"We never built any real momentum but it showed we were competitive and perhaps I was just pleased that we found a way to win the game and it was a great strike by Dems. I was about to take him off just before the red card, so what do I know?
"But he came up with the goods, and I had spoken to him about this recently - about adding goals and being more selfish in that final third. It looked like today it might be just one moment that would settle it.
"As soon as we scored, I didn't want to take any risk, it was just about making sure we didn't concede against 10 men, like we did against Bristol City - and see the game out."
Watford's Tom Cleverley:
"I'm a little bit fed up with being disappointed, to be honest, when I don't feel my team are playing as poorly as the results showed.
"Why are we not winning the games we are in full control of? Oxford, Stoke…. It's a conundrum I need to solve - how do we turn all this control and good play into wins. Because no-one wants to see a team that is playing great football but not winning, especially at this stage of the season.
"I thought we handled the conditions really well. It wasn't a pitch that you can play the football we normally do, but we saw out the first 20 minutes and the wind affecting the play, and I thought we were in absolute complete control.
"If I can aim any criticism at the lads today it's that we weren't clinical enough - 16 shots and none on target in the second half. That's why we've not won the game, we've not been clinical enough in key moments."
