OXFORD United’s head of medical services helped saved someone’s life the same morning that the club won promotion.

The U’s beat Bolton Wanderers 2-0 in the Sky Bet League One play-off final at Wembley on Saturday afternoon, securing promotion thanks to Josh Murphy’s two goals.

It was a historic day for United, who will now play in the second tier of English football for the first time in 25 years.

U’s players and staff travelled to London on Friday afternoon, and stayed in the capital overnight.

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On Saturday morning, United head of medical Amy Cranston left the club hotel to set off on a run around the city, and came across a man who had suffered a cardiac arrest.

Against the backdrop of the U’s celebrating their promotion with an open-top bus parade in Oxford city centre, Cranston told the Oxford Mail: “I went out for my run, I always have to do at least 10km or more, and generally if I do that, I’ve noticed we tend to win, so I had to get my 12km in.

“I went out for my run going past Buckingham Palace and down the Mall, and someone had basically had a cardiac arrest.

“I stopped and we did CPR, me and a doctor who was also running past, and the two of us did CPR.

“He’s alive, he’s well, he’s speaking, and he’s laughing and joking in the hospital.

“It’s unbelievable really to be honest. I went back to the hotel, going ‘oh my god, I’ve got a play-off final today’. My emotions were all over the place.”

The U’s backroom staff member’s family expressed to this newspaper outside Wembley how proud they were of Oxford-born Cranston.

Oxford Mail: Amy Cranston’s family celebrated promotion outside Wembley after the gameAmy Cranston’s family celebrated promotion outside Wembley after the game (Image: Ed Burnett)

Oxford Mail: Oxford United head of medical Amy Cranston celebrates at WembleyOxford United head of medical Amy Cranston celebrates at Wembley (Image: Darrell Fisher)

Meanwhile, United posted on social media: “Amy Cranston appreciation post. Saving lives in the morning, lifting trophies in the evening.”

In April of last year, Cranston ran the London Marathon in aid of local children’s hospice Helen & Douglas House.

She completed the marathon in an impressive time of three hours and 53 minutes, while also smashing through her fundraising target for the charity.

Cranston raised approximately £4,100, which the U’s topped up to £5,000, doubling her initial target.

Helen & Douglas House, the world’s first children’s hospice, provides hospice care for babies and children in Oxfordshire and surrounding counties.

The hospice started life in November 1982, when the children’s hospice movement was founded by Sister Frances Dominica.

The inspiration for Helen House was a small girl called Helen, who was left with irreversible brain damage after an emergency operation to remove a brain tumour.

Her parents took her home from hospital care, with Sister Frances looking after Helen for short periods, and from that, the idea of a hospice for children was born.