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August 10, 2024

Mark Harris and Cameron Brannagan get the home team off to a perfect start as Oxford United defeats Norwich City 2-0 – EFL CHAMPIONSHIP

At the beginning of the Championship season, Kassam Stadium was electric.

After defeating Norwich City 2-0 at Kassam Stadium, Oxford United returned to the second division of English football.

Mark Harris gave Oxford the early advantage in the game. Cameron Brannagan added a second goal to help Oxford seal the victory and increase their lead. Oxford dominated the game from the start.

Norwich was a letdown, but Oxford was outstanding. Despite trailing two goals at halftime, they mustered only two shots on goal during the entire match and thus posed no threat to the hosts.

Since its opening in 2001, Kassam Stadium has only hosted games in the second division of English football. This was their first visit to this level of the football pyramid since the 1998–1999 season. Oxford had a boisterous atmosphere as the home supporters were excited about the event.

The Match Story

Pregame chatter was dominated by rumors that Norwich’s Jonathan Rowe, a winger, would be leaving the team after making contact with Marseille. Hans Hoff Thorup, the new manager of Norwich, discussed the circumstances. During his pregame interview, he spoke with Sky Sports and stated:

“John and I had a meeting this morning and he came to me and said that with so many things going on and so much interest, he was maybe not ready to perform today.”

Oxford started strongly in the first half and came dangerously close to taking the lead when Tyler Goodrham’s low cross was missed by Mark Harris, who was ultimately saved by the offside flag.

Oxford kept up the pressure early on, forcing Norwich goalkeeper Angus Gunn to make saves and force corners. The first half belonged to the hosts, who persisted in pressing and eventually got their reward when Harris opened the score in the 28th minute. The visitors had their moments, though.

Grant Hanley, a defender for the Canaries, attempted to clear a long ball but was knocked down by Harris’s slight contact. Harris picked up the ball in the box, cut past Shane Duffy, and bundled it past Gunn into the back of the net. He scored 19 goals for the team the previous year and will be an important member of the squad this time.

Oxford, already ahead 1-0, showed no disrespect and kept pressing, with a five-minute remaining play potentially making it 2-0. In an attempt to attack from the back, Gunn mishandled the ball, which ended up at the feet of Will Vaulks. Vaulks made an attempt, but his shot just missed the net. This was a let-off for Gun and Norwich. 

The second half is more of the same

Given their subpar performance in the first half, Norwich would have wanted to start the second half strongly. Still, after just five minutes, Oxford hit the woodwork and kept causing trouble.

Before the hour, Brannagan found the net, so they would soon double their lead. After Goodrham and Rúben Rodrigues performed a one-two, Goodrham found Sam Long on the overlap following the ball’s pickup from the box’s edge.

The home crowd went crazy as Brannagan’s first-time effort curled into the bottom right corner after Long sent a powerful low cross into the box.

Even with Amankwah Forson’s goal, which came straight at goalkeeper Jamie Cumming, who was not tested throughout the game, Norwich began to play better in the last ten minutes of standard time. Still, by then, it was much too late.

Both teams went through the motions towards the end of the game, with no real headlines in the four added minutes. The Oxford fans even chanted “Ole” as their team controlled the midfield battle.

Player of the Match – Cameron Brannagan

Brannagan has been a critical piece to this Oxford side over the past few years and showcased precisely why this is the case with a brilliant performance.

He was everywhere and was a key cog, pulling the strings in midfield. He was part of everything that was good for the hosts. He topped this off with his aforementioned brilliant finish that helped double Oxford’s lead.

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