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Charlton Athletic F.C. manager Nathan Jones was highly critical of the refereeing decision that awarded Oxford United F.C. their first penalty in almost two years.
The incident occurred when Will Lankshear went down in the box following a nudge from Kayne Ramsay, allowing Cameron Brannagan to calmly convert the spot-kick — 675 days after he scored the U’s previous penalty in May 2024.
Despite taking the lead, Oxford could not hold on. In the 93rd minute, Ciaron Brown pulled back Lloyd Jones inside the box, allowing Charlie Kelman to equalize for Charlton.
Speaking after the match, Jones did not mince words about the penalty:
“I mean, the penalty… I’ve got to choose my words carefully. An extremely poor decision. Referees get swayed by the crowd and emotion instead of making clear calls. You can’t step outside your technical area without getting booked. It’s a very poor decision.”
Jones was less critical about the penalty Oxford conceded, saying, “Only a fool wouldn’t have given it.”
Beyond refereeing decisions, Jones admitted frustration with his team’s overall performance at the Kassam Stadium. “The players just didn’t listen at half-time.
We played into Oxford’s hands — they sit off and invite you to play slow, easy football, then break on you. We told the players to exploit their high line, play balls in behind, and be composed in the box. We finally did it in the last 15 minutes and got our reward, but we didn’t do it for 75, which is why we were 1-0 down, aside from the poor decision.”
The point takes Charlton to 48 in the EFL Championship table, nine clear of the relegation zone where Oxford currently sits. After last season’s promotion via the play-offs, the Addicks appear on course to secure Championship safety.
Meanwhile, Matt Bloomfield’s Oxford side languishes in 22nd, just one point from safety, with West Bromwich Albion F.C. and Portsmouth F.C. only slightly above them in the table.
If you want, I can also rewrite this into a punchy, click-bait style version for social media, highlighting the refereeing controversy and Charlton’s late comeback. Do you want me to do that?
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