Oxford 2 West Brom 1: Managerless Baggies lose again on the road leaving travelling fans seething

Caretaker boss James Morrison was unable to inspire the Baggies in the wake of Eric Ramsay's midweek sacking as seemingly doomed Oxford won a first game in eight in all competitions.

The Baggies' sell-out allocation of 1,450 aimed angry "you're not fit to wear the shirt" chants at the hapless away players at full-time.

Morrison's side fell 2-0 behind to calamitous set-piece goals in the first 26 minutes as Oxford ended a run of six home games without a goal.

Teen academy graduate Ollie Bostock - on early for Mikey Johnston who looked to have picked up a serious injury - netted a deflected strike for a first senior goal and the visitors had an hour to fight back but Oxford were barely troubled.

It was a day of missed opportunity as rivals lost in the early kick-offs but Albion were unable to take advantage after another pitiful display.

The latest defeat came on the two-year anniversary of owners Bilkul Football's takeover and further underlined the miserable plight of the club who looked doomed to relegation to League One.

The could be forced into appointing a third permanent head coach of the season after Morrison, in his third caretaker stint, could not halt the slump.

Measly Albion are now 11 games without a Championship victory, dating back to the final game of 2025. The last league win on the road came almost five months ago with 14 failed attempts since  the Norwich clash on October 1.

Only Krystian Bielik with a late header went close to an equaliser as the blunt Baggies lacked quality all over the field, from back, to middle to front.

The weeks and months ahead are bleak and only rivals' failings kept the Baggies out of the second-tier drop zone.

The sense of a big-game occasion was only heightened as the three early kick-off scorelines affecting the Baggies went their way.

The sell-out 1,450 allocation made themselves heard in the corner of the Kassam. The home faithful, without a goal to cheer for such a while, matched the energy in a tense but boisterous atmosphere.

Morrison - in his tracksuit trying to remain calm and not head and kick every ball as he pledged on Friday - saw a bright start from his players.

Johnston was busy in the opening minutes and had a shot blocked behind as he escaped down the left of the box. One of a series of early corners was pawed over by goalkeeper Jamie Cumming.

The away end were momentarily encouraged but a bright 10 minutes ebbed away and the hosts found confidence and, before long, the lead.

Home attackers Lankshear and Myles Peart-Harris combined well and only a vital intervention by Krystian Bielik ensured the latter did not have a tap-in.

Jed Wallace, back in Albion's side, drilled a left-footed effort behind but seconds later Oxford opened the scoring from an awful Taylor error.

The defender needlessly handed the ball to Spurs loanee Jamie Donley whose deflected strike looped over and, from his resulting corner, winger Mills rose highest to escape his Albion marker and head into the left corner.

It was totally unnecessary from Taylor to begin with and there was a release inside the Kassam Stadium as a home goal drought finally ended.

Morrison's side were dealt a further blow as winger Johnston went down over the far side writhing in agony. He was helped off wincing in discomfort by Albion physio Richie Rawlins.

The interim boss summoned Bostock for just his fifth senior appearance.

The Welsh teen had a strike blocked before the contest could settle the hosts worked a second from another set-piece to leave the Baggies staring into the abyss.

The marking was abysmal again as former loanee Lankshear headed in easily from six yards from skipper Cameron Brannagan's free-kick from the right. Max O'Leary, helpless for the opener, got a strong hand but could not keep it out.

Boos rained down from the away end as Albion looked helpless in their response to any ball into their box - and set-pieces kept coming.

The manner of the defending was criminal.

Things had unravelled but the visitors mercifully salvaged a lifeline after half hour.

Fortune was on Bostock's side but he bought a ticket and won the raffle.

The youngster, cutting from the left, unloaded a strike from the best part of 25 yards and it took a wicked deflected off an unlucky yellow-shirt to deceive Cumming and find the corner.

It was something for the Baggies to build from before the break but Morrison's men failed to forge any clear-cut openings on goal.

Alex Mowatt and Callum Styles had firm strikes blocked after a decent Jayson Molumby cross as the Yellows stood firm. One particularly wicked Bostock delivery was beginning to be attacked but was wasted.

Much better was required and Albion did manage to find a foothold after the break as Oxford camped into their own third.

Matt Bloomfield's U's defended well, though, and were hardly stretched by the unimaginative Baggies.

Albion were limited to strikes from the edge of the box from Taylor, of all people, well blocked. 

The visitors were sloppy in promising positions and, with a high line, risked the counter-attack. Once or twice the hosts threatened to get in for a third as Albion recovered.

Skipper Wallace had been sloppy and saw a poor free-kick hit the wall before he blazed the follow-up a long way over. Morrison sent on Daryl Dike and Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba for the ineffective Maja and Isaac Price.

Albion were wasteful as time ticked by. Mowatt's set-piece chances were poor and easily cleared, as Oxford showed their visitors how to stand firm from dead balls.

Morrison had to react and sent for Aune Heggebo and the more attack-minded right-back Danny Imray with 15 minutes left.

Hope drained from the 1,500 away fans as Albion's desperate lack of quality reared its head time and again.

Molumby tried to fashion something with a surge as he fed Jimoh-Aloba down the left. The teen loan's first-time cross was backheeled at goal by Heggebo but it was awkward, tame and easy for Cumming. It looked so difficult for Albion.

The golden chance arrived with five minutes left. Mowatt's free-kick from the left was this time on the money and Bielik climbed to win the header from four yards but planted his effort wide. It was gilt-edged.

Hopeless Albion should have been put out of their misery seconds later but home substitute Aidomo Emakhu sent tamely at O'Leary when unmarked.

There was no way through as professional Oxford saw the big win out crucially to breathe life into their survival push.

For the spiralling Baggies, you wonder where next?

Oxford United (4-2-3-1): Cumming; Long, Brown, Helik, Currie; Konak (Vaulks, 74), Brannagan (c); Mills (Emakhu, 63), Peart-Harris (Prelec, 63), Donley (Harris, 86); Lankshear (Ter Avest, 63).

Subs not used: Ingram (gk), Romeny, Jeon, Makosso

Albion (4-2-3-1): O'Leary; Campbell (Imray, 75), Bielik, Taylor, Styles; Molumby, Mowatt; Wallace (c) (Heggebo, 75), Price (Jimoh-Aloba, 62), Johnston (Bostock, 22); Maja (Dike, 64).

Subs not used: Wallis (gk), Gilchrist, Diakite, Whitwell

Attendance:

Referee: Matt Corlett