Saturday, April 6, 1996 – the day that Joey Beauchamp scored that against Blackpool. It resulted in a 1-0 win for the U’s and it moved fourth-placed Oxford to ten points behind second-placed Blackpool.
By the end of the season, Oxford finished second on 83 points – one point above the Seasiders. Sixth-placed Bradford City would join the U’s in achieving promotion from Division Two after knocking Blackpool out in the play-off semi-final, before beating Notts County in the final.
The win over Blackpool came just sevens days after the U’s lost 4-2 against Stockport County. That defeat was the club’s only loss in their final 17 league games of the season, which included a four-game winning streak in their final four games to secure promotion to Division One.
The Blackpool win may not have been the turning point but it was a key moment in the push for promotion as it pegged back one of their key rivals.
Not only that, but Beauchamp’s 30-yard volley was later described as the ‘best goal scored at the Manor.’ Of his 79 goals for the club, the goal against Blackpool will go down not only as his best but also as one of his most important.
