Matt Bloomfield says Oxford’s draw with Charlton feels like two points dropped

Oxford head coach Matt Bloomfield believes the 1-1 draw at home to Charlton felt more like two Championship points dropped than one gained because of the lateness of the visitors’ stoppage-time penalty leveller.

Charlie Kelman converted from the spot in the third minute of stoppage time after Ciaron Brown fouled Lloyd Jones at a free-kick.

Earlier, Cameron Brannagan had tucked away a 57th-minute penalty – the first the U’s have been awarded since April 2024 – to put Oxford ahead after centre-half Jones fouled Will Lankshear in the box.

Bloomfield said: “It feels like two points dropped because of the timing of the goal, of course it does.

“But we all have to remember we’ve put a point on our total today which is a positive against an extremely tough opposition.

“But because of the timing of the goal against it feels terribly disappointing that we haven’t seen it over the line.

“We’ve waited a long time as a football club to get a penalty ourselves, and Cameron Brannagan put it away nicely, and it just felt there was a really good energy in the ground in the second half. The irony is that they then get one.

“I thought we were much more where we wanted to be in the second half, in the first half we weren’t – we needed to be much more pro-active.

“We got the goal, had the momentum, had a couple cleared off the line. I think if we’d have got the second goal, the game would have been done and dusted in our favour.

“Ten points in the last four games is a real positive, though, and we have to reflect on that. What we have done in the last four games we should be really proud of, and we should use that as optimism, positivity and confidence for what we return to next week.

“It feels disappointing that we only drew, because we were so close to getting the three points, but we have to be careful and calm with our reaction after the game.

“I think the penalty was their only shot on target so overall we defended well.”

Charlton boss Nathan Jones felt the penalty the Addicks conceded was very soft.

Jones said: “It was the poorest of decisions – sometimes they get swayed by the crowd, and emotions, and don’t make clear decisions – and it was very disappointing for us.

“Saying that, we showed character, threatened and probably looked the most likely to win it in the end.

“Looking at the positives, it’s seven points from three games and if someone had offered that to me for this week at 3pm last Saturday I’d have taken it.

“My players didn’t listen at half-time, their players did, and we played into their hands.

“They sit off and want you to play slow-tempo football and then they break on you.

“We said to them, with the high line, turn them, get the ball in behind them, make them defend, put balls in the box and you’ll get joy. We did that for the last 15 minutes and got joy. We didn’t do it for the first 75 and that’s why we were 1-0 behind, as well as the poor decision.

“It’s another point for us towards our goal, and it’s a massive point really because it keeps them at arm’s length.

“But I’m very disappointed overall because we could have won that game, had we been at it.”