Matt Taylor fired a 70th-minute winner as Bristol Rovers gained their first League One points of the season with a 2-1 victory at home to Oxford United.
Taylor scored just three minutes after Oxford had been reduced to 10 men for the last quarter of the game when Sam Long received a harsh second yellow card.
Rovers took the lead in the 25th minute when Jermaine Easter was allowed space to move into Oxford’s penalty area on the right before burying a sweetly struck right-footed shot inside the far post.
But Oxford were level after 42 minutes. Ryan Taylor headed the ball into the path of Kane Hemmings, who moved forward to beat goalkeeper Steve Mildenhall with a low shot from 20 yards, the ball striking the inside of a post on its way in.
Oxford then lost Long on 67 minutes for a high foot and the hosts quickly cashed in on their extra-man advantage.
On as a substitute, last season’s top scorer in the Football League buried a close-range effort on the turn after the U’s had failed to clear a Luke James cross from the right.
But Oxford should have equalised in injury time when substitute Tyler Roberts blazed over an open goal.
Line-ups
Bristol Rovers
- 1Mildenhall
- 3Brown
- 5McChrystal
- 4Lockyer
- 15J ClarkeBooked at 76mins
- 21Montano Castillo
- 8O ClarkeBooked at 78mins
- 14LinesBooked at 11mins
- 23BodinSubstituted forJamesat 66′minutes
- 30GaffneyBooked at 29minsSubstituted forHarrisonat 58′minutes
- 17EasterSubstituted forTaylorat 58′minutes
Substitutes
- 2Leadbitter
- 9Harrison
- 10Taylor
- 11Gosling
- 22Moore
- 25Puddy
- 29James
Oxford Utd
- 1Eastwood
- 3Skarz
- 5Nelson
- 6MartinBooked at 56mins
- 22LongBooked at 67mins
- 10MaguireSubstituted forRothwellat 74′minutes
- 4Lundstram
- 8Sercombe
- 11MacDonaldSubstituted forCrowleyat 66′minutes
- 20Taylor
- 15HemmingsSubstituted forRobertsat 81′minutes
Substitutes
- 7Crowley
- 13Buchel
- 14Ruffels
- 18Rothwell
- 21Roberts
- 31Roberts
- 36Welch-Hayes
- Referee:
- Charles Breakspear
- Attendance:
- 10,053
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home55%
- Away45%
- Shots
- Home16
- Away10
- Shots on Target
- Home6
- Away5
- Corners
- Home6
- Away1
- Fouls
- Home15
- Away18
Live Text
Match ends, Bristol Rovers 2, Oxford United 1.
Full Time
Second Half ends, Bristol Rovers 2, Oxford United 1.
Foul by Ellis Harrison (Bristol Rovers).
Tyler Roberts (Oxford United) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Corner, Bristol Rovers. Conceded by John Lundstram.
Attempt missed. Tyler Roberts (Oxford United) right footed shot from the left side of the six yard box misses to the right.
Ellis Harrison (Bristol Rovers) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Curtis Nelson (Oxford United).
Attempt missed. Ellis Harrison (Bristol Rovers) header from the centre of the box misses to the right.
Luke James (Bristol Rovers) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Joe Skarz (Oxford United).
Attempt missed. Ollie Clarke (Bristol Rovers) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the left.
Attempt saved. Cristian Montaño (Bristol Rovers) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal.
Foul by Chris Lines (Bristol Rovers).
Joe Skarz (Oxford United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Substitution
Substitution, Oxford United. Tyler Roberts replaces Kane Hemmings.
Booking
Ollie Clarke (Bristol Rovers) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Ollie Clarke (Bristol Rovers).
Joe Rothwell (Oxford United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Booking
James Clarke (Bristol Rovers) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by James Clarke (Bristol Rovers).
Daniel Crowley (Oxford United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution
Substitution, Oxford United. Joe Rothwell replaces Chris Maguire.
Attempt saved. Chris Lines (Bristol Rovers) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal.
Goal!
Goal! Bristol Rovers 2, Oxford United 1. Matty Taylor (Bristol Rovers) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the top left corner.
Foul by James Clarke (Bristol Rovers).
Daniel Crowley (Oxford United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Dismissal
Second yellow card to Sam Long (Oxford United) for a bad foul.
Cristian Montaño (Bristol Rovers) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Sam Long (Oxford United).
Substitution
Substitution, Oxford United. Daniel Crowley replaces Alexander MacDonald.
Substitution
Substitution, Bristol Rovers. Luke James replaces Billy Bodin.
Attempt missed. Ellis Harrison (Bristol Rovers) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right.
Attempt missed. Ellis Harrison (Bristol Rovers) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left.
Matty Taylor (Bristol Rovers) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Chris Maguire (Oxford United).
Attempt saved. Kane Hemmings (Oxford United) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Attempt saved. Chris Maguire (Oxford United) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Foul by Tom Lockyer (Bristol Rovers).
Chris Maguire (Oxford United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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