Lewis Cox's West Brom analysis: Long way to go but fightback shows togetherness and belief intact

Many supporters have lost patience with goal-shy Albion - always a low commodity in this day and age - and finales like last Tuesday's at Charlton after a dour stalemate against bottom club Sheffield Wednesday the previous weekend will do the head coach no favours.

There were shoots of optimism in the performance - and not the outcome - in south east London, however, and Mason's men built on that with a much-needed victory here.

Whether the clash against the lowly U's, out of form and low on confidence under Gary Rowett, was a 'must-win' for the head coach to remain in post only the owners at Bilkul will know - Mason refused to be drawn into that debate on Friday.

The likelihood is not even a bad result against Oxford would have persuaded owner Shilen Patel and club president Andrew Nestor to act.

Albion's hierarchy courted Mason for some time and, having finally made it happen in the summer, will give their man all the time he needs to get things moving in the right direction. Furthermore, a second sacking of their tenure in fewer than 20 games at the helm following Tony Mowbray's disastrous return is not a good look.

The Baggies will not be interested in the churn and instead favour a consistent approach.

One suspects only a really toxic atmosphere inside The Hawthorns and at away ends around the country could change that if results - and goals - continued to elude Mason.

Fears of a toxic backdrop threatened to be realised just under 10 minutes into the second half on Saturday as Oxford, through Will Lankshear of all people, opened the scoring to leave The Hawthorns aghast.

Lankshear endured a forgettable loan of 11 games and no goals for Albion last term. This was his fifth for a poor U's side. It was hardly against the run of play at that stage.

The first half had played out as many have this season. The Baggies were bright enough in the opening exchanges but did not take advantage of some promising situations.

When a couple of clear openings did come off the hosts looked blunt and low on confidence as ever. Josh Maja, last season's top scorer who looks such a long way from his sharp best, lacked the confidence to shoot first-time from five yards and then, despairingly, nobody could make it into the six-yard box to connect to an excellent low cross from the ever positive Mikey Johnston, who single-handedly took the game to Oxford.

Muted half-time boos at another 0-0 came with a sense of apathy from a Hawthorns crowd low on numbers, pointing to the general mood.

So when Lankshear turned in there were genuine fears as pockets broke out with "you don't know what you're doing" aimed at Mason.

Fortunately for the head coach and Albion hierarchy, the deficit was shortlived.

Just two minutes later and Albion scored their first goal in more than six hours of football - and there was a irony it took unsuspecting Oxford left-back Greg Leigh stabbing into his own net for the Baggies to finally make a breakthrough.

A 1-1 scoreline would not be nearly enough to appease the locals and substitute striker Aune Heggebo ensured some satisfaction and a first win in five games with his fine header from Isaac Price's cross with 20 minutes left.

For £4.7million summer recruit Heggebo, who had been sent on for Maja by Mason just eight minutes earlier, it was only a second league goal - a first at The Hawthorns - and third in all.

The victory was deserved and very welcome for Mason, who cut a relieved figure afterwards having greeted the full-time whistle with two clenched fists.

Many supporters saw the victory as a papering over of cracks - but every recovery has to start somewhere and any wins are tough to come by when goals are not going in and confidence is low.

This was a crucial success going into the November international break and given the two games that follow it, away to freescoring leaders Coventry on November 22 and at home to rivals Birmingham the following Wednesday.

For now and for much of the next fortnight Mason and Albion can enjoy and aim to build on just this sixth league victory in 15 under the head coach.

Incredibly, it was the first time since the opening day of last season, in August 2024 under Carlos Corberan, that Albion have come from behind to win a game.

So often since, under several head coaches and interims, it has been levelled at the Baggies they have lacked the minerals to fight back from a losing position and go under all too easily.

That could have been the case here, once again, against very limited opposition.

But credit to Mason and his players for refusing to lie down and throw the towel in on this occasion. It shows there is still a collective belief in the club and that players are still buying into the head coach's work - and that is crucial.