City struggled away from home against the relegation-threatened U’s
Barry Cooper Hull City correspondent
16:58, 03 Apr 2026
Mohamed Belloumi celebrates his goal at Oxford United with Oli McBurnie(Image: Michael Zemanek/Shutterstock)
Mohamed Belloumi’s fine strike early on was not enough to see Hull City claim a priceless victory over struggling Oxford United, who battled hard to earn a deserved 1-1 draw.
The Tigers roared into a fourth-minute lead when Semin Ajayi’s raking ball picked out Mo Belloumi, who cut inside and found the back of the net with a clinical effort.
That lead lasted for all of 10 minutes until the hosts pulled level from the penalty spot when Charlie Hughes, back in the team, rashly fouled Will Lankshear inside the box and Cam Brannagan slammed on the penalty.
City laboured for much of the contest and, in truth, rode their luck on numerous occasions and were probably fortunate to get out of the Kassam Stadium with a point that keeps them in the play-off race and ahead of Wrexham, who were also held away from home at West Brom.
Sergej Jakirovic suggested he was concerned about the travelling done by Ivor Pandur and Liam Millar, so both were rested with Dillon Phillips coming in for Pandur. There was also a first start since returning from his latest hamstring injury for Mo Belloumi at the site of last season’s injury late on. John Lundstram came in for the injured Regan Slater, and Charlie Hughes returned from suspension at the expense of John Egan, who was on the bench. Lewie Coyle also came back in the starting XI on the left side of the back four in place of Paddy McNair amid five changes from the win over Sheffield Wednesday before the international break.
It took five minutes for City to open the scoring with their first attack. Ajayi’s raking ball out to Belloumi saw the Algerian take a lovely touch inside his man and cut menacingly into the box, before firing past Jamie Cumming via a slight deflection. As soon as he faced down on goal, you never felt like he’d miss.
More than 500 days after rupturing his ACL at the Kassam Stadium on Bonfire Night 2024, he was back with a bang. Unfortunately, that lead lasted only 10 minutes when Crooks lost the ball in midfield, and through went Lankshear only to be brought down inside the box by Hughes’ rash challenge. Cameron Brannagan slammed in the penalty. Hughes was booked, despite the home fans baying for his dismissal. The lively Lankshear could have put his side in the lead, but could only head over at the back post from a teasing ball across the box.
City were giving the ball away, losing the second balls and allowing the midfield pair for Oxford to dominate. The long ball forward into the wind was causing the Tigers all sorts of problems. Lankshear was a threat with the ball in behind.
In midfield, the Tigers were missing the tenacity of Slater, with their midfield two of Crooks and Lundstram struggling with the movement, but as the half wore on, Jakirovic’s men enjoyed greater control. Always a threat through Belloumi, he teased one just wide with the outside of his boot, before playing in Joseph at the back post, who shot first time and saw it beaten away by Jamie Cumming.
It wasn’t a huge surprise to see Hughes withdrawn at the interval, with Egan coming on in his place, while Matt Bloomfield made a change of his own with Brodie Spencer replacing Ruben Roosken.
City started the second half poorly, and needed Phillips to make a fine diving save to deny Brannagan from distance as the hosts exerted some pressure. Crooks skied over from close range after Lundstram’s rasping volley had been blocked. Belloumi’s fine display came to an end just after the hour when he was replaced by Kieran Dowell, with Lewis Koumas taking Gelhardt’s place.
Jeon, Mark Harris and Will Vaulks were introduced with 15 minutes to go for the hosts, with Myles Peart-Harris, Jamie Donley and Yunas Konak all coming off. Those changes came moments after a flurry of blocks inside the Tigers’ box to keep out the U’s. With just under 10 to play, Lundstram and Joseph were replaced by Millar and Toby Collyer.
Phillips was forced into a smart save in added time after Nik Prelec had replaced Lankshear, while Harris poked wide at the back post when he should have won it. City were again below par on the road, but took what could be a valuable point against a side battling for their lives. In truth, it’s hard not to feel that this was two dropped.
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Oxford United: Cumming, Long, Brown, Konak, Helik, Brannagan, Roosken, Mills, Lankshear, Donley, Peart-Harris. Subs: Ingram, Vaulks, Placheta, Harris, Spencer, Prelec, Jin Woo, Makosso, McDonnell.
Hull City: Phillips, Coyle, Ajayi, Hughes, Drameh, Crooks, Lundstram, Joseph, Belloumi, Gelhardt, McBurnie. Subs: Pandur, Collyer, Millar, Dowell, Hadziahmetovic, Koumas, McNair, Egan, McCarthy.
Referee: Oliver Langford
Attendance: 11,477 (1,476 from Hull City)
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