Oxford United Advances to Fourth Round After Thrilling Penalty Shootout Victory Over MK Dons
In a nail-biting FA Cup encounter at Stadium MK, Oxford United secured their spot in the fourth round for the first time since 2019-20 by defeating MK Dons on penalties. The match, watched by new manager Matt Bloomfield who observed his first game under Craig Short's interim leadership, ended in a 1-1 stalemate after extra time.
MK Dons took the lead through Aaron Collins' close-range effort in the 34th minute, capitalizing on Oxford's failure to clear Dan Crowley's corner. The visitors responded with an equalizer courtesy of Will Lanskhear in the 52nd minute, exploiting a hosts' defensive lapse on a long throw from Will Vaulks.
The match ultimately decided by penalties, and MK Dons were unable to overcome their opponents. Jonathan Leko's missed penalty and Connor Lemonheigh-Evans' errant attempt allowed Oxford to prevail as Matt Ingram saved the latter's shot.
Oxford's success marked a significant milestone under Bloomfield, who took charge hours before kickoff. The win not only marked Oxford's first FA Cup quarterfinal appearance since 2019-20 but also demonstrated their potential for improvement under their new manager.
On a contrasting note, Port Vale secured their spot in the fourth round with a 1-0 victory over Fleetwood Town at home. Jordan Shipley scored the decisive goal in stoppage time to secure the win and gave Jon Brady his perfect start as new manager, just days after being appointed following Darren Moore's sacking.
In other matches, Wigan Athletic defeated Preston North End 1-0 with Harrison Bettoni scoring a late equalizer via a deflection off Andrew Hughes.
In a nail-biting FA Cup encounter at Stadium MK, Oxford United secured their spot in the fourth round for the first time since 2019-20 by defeating MK Dons on penalties. The match, watched by new manager Matt Bloomfield who observed his first game under Craig Short's interim leadership, ended in a 1-1 stalemate after extra time.
MK Dons took the lead through Aaron Collins' close-range effort in the 34th minute, capitalizing on Oxford's failure to clear Dan Crowley's corner. The visitors responded with an equalizer courtesy of Will Lanskhear in the 52nd minute, exploiting a hosts' defensive lapse on a long throw from Will Vaulks.
The match ultimately decided by penalties, and MK Dons were unable to overcome their opponents. Jonathan Leko's missed penalty and Connor Lemonheigh-Evans' errant attempt allowed Oxford to prevail as Matt Ingram saved the latter's shot.
Oxford's success marked a significant milestone under Bloomfield, who took charge hours before kickoff. The win not only marked Oxford's first FA Cup quarterfinal appearance since 2019-20 but also demonstrated their potential for improvement under their new manager.
On a contrasting note, Port Vale secured their spot in the fourth round with a 1-0 victory over Fleetwood Town at home. Jordan Shipley scored the decisive goal in stoppage time to secure the win and gave Jon Brady his perfect start as new manager, just days after being appointed following Darren Moore's sacking.
In other matches, Wigan Athletic defeated Preston North End 1-0 with Harrison Bettoni scoring a late equalizer via a deflection off Andrew Hughes.
. Oxford United, Port Vale, Wigan Athletic - they're all just trying to make their way through this crazy football jungle. But what does it all really mean? Is it just about winning and losing, or is there something more to it? Maybe it's about the journey, not just the destination... or maybe I'm just overthinking things 
. Either way, it's nice to see these teams pushing themselves to be better, even if it means goin' through a tough penalty shootout 
️.
what a match! i'm on the edge of my seat thinking about that penalty shootout, omg, what if mk dons won? they had some amazing chances 
and you can't blame them for not capitalizing. but oxford united just showed everyone what they're made of 
under new manager bloomfield - this is exactly the momentum we needed to see their team click. now let's see how they hold up against tougher opponents in the quarterfinals 
. And can we talk about Jordan Shipley's goal in stoppage time at Port Vale vs Fleetwood Town? what a finish! 
like, congrats to them and all but its not like they r some underdog team or anything. MK Dons had their chances too and blew em 
plus port vale got thier 1-0 win without even havin a penalty shootout lol thatz just more believable than oxford makin it happen. dont get me wrong, matt bloomfield must be doin somethin rite but its not like hes some magical manager who makes his team unstoppable 
and i love how he took charge just hours before kickoff talk about going all in 
now let's see if they can keep up this momentum and make a deep run in the fa cup
, they finally made it to the fourth round after ages! I mean, that penalty shootout was crazy intense 
. And kudos to new manager Matt Bloomfield for getting them there, this is such an important win for him and the team 
! And Wigan Athletic's win over Preston was a big one too 
. Fleetwood Town got served on their home turf 
. Now we're just waiting to see what happens next in the FA Cup... it's gonna be so exciting 
!
They deservedly made it to the fourth round after that nail-biting penalty shootout win 
. That Jordan Shipley goal in stoppage time was absolute drama, and I'm so glad they're through to the next round 
!
... I mean, how hard is it to lose on penalties?! 
! I mean, to go from 1-0 down at one point and still manage to win it in a penalty shootout? That's like, mental strength right there 
. And kudos to Port Vale for getting their first win under new boss Jon Brady - that's gotta feel amazing for him and the squad! 
Oxford United is on fire 
! 
, and it's awesome to see Oxford United back in the FA Cup quarterfinals for the first time since 2019-20 
!
. and wow, matt ingram is a genius in goal 
. i love how matt bloomfield has already got the team firing on all cylinders under him - it's exciting to see what he can do with them! 
Oxford United's win is a great sign for their season 
can't believe Oxford United pulled off that incredible penalty shootout win! 
I was on the edge of my seat watching that match... the tension in the air was palpable 
And Port Vale's Jordan Shipley, what a goal scorer! 
! And I'm not even gonna lie, Wigan Athletic beating Preston North End 1-0 was a nice little bonus 
can't wait to see what these teams do in the next round 
anyway matt bloomfield seems like a super cool manager now lol i wonder how many penalties he has to kick before he gets it right hahaha 
jordan shipley scored the winner in stoppage time what a moment 
. The fact that he took charge hours before kickoff and still managed to get them the win is just amazing