Oxford United have put one foot into the final of the Football League Trophy with a 2-0 victory over Millwall in the first leg of their area final this evening.
A first-half brace from Kemar Roofe gave the League Two promotion hopefuls a valuable away win at The Den as they look to reach Wembley to take on either Barnsley or Fleetwood Town.
The visitors had the lead inside the opening 15 minutes when Roofe collected a throw-in before turning his man and somehow squeezing the ball in at the near post from the tightest of angles.
Millwall had been on top before the goal went in, and they were soon back on the search for one of their own. Lee Gregory sent a decent opening over the crossbar before Shane Ferguson and Steve Morison both came close in quick succession.
It was Oxford who got the second goal, however, as John Lundstram's powerful long-range strike crashed against the crossbar and fell to Roofe, who made no mistake with his finish just three minutes before half time.
Gregory was denied by Benjamin Buchel moments later and Millwall started the second half on top too, but it was Oxford who almost made it three five minutes after the interval when Pat Hoban put his first-time effort past the post.
The Lions continued to push for a route back into the match, but Mark Beevers failed to steer his header on target having been found unmarked by Ferguson's free kick, before Morison saw an effort cleared off the line.
Oxford continued to hang on against their League One hosts as Jed Wallace twice came close before Morison also had a couple of chances in quick succession, neither of which he could convert.
That profligacy proved to be Millwall's undoing as they failed to claw even a goal back, leaving themselves with an uphill battle heading into next month's second leg at the Kassam Stadium.
Barney Corkhill
