Oxford United won in the most dramatic style at the Kassam Stadium this afternoon as a sell-out crowd saw a Ciaron Brown goal in injury time earn them a 2-1 win over Cambridge United.
Trailing to a Jordan Cousins goal before the break, United came back strongly and Tyler Goodrham's excellent strike was followed up by a header from defender Brown to give them a deserved three points.
With Cambridge content to sit in, take their time and invite United to break them down, the game was initially played at a sedate pace. Goodrham’s energy on the left always looked a likely route to goal, but it was Cambridge who broke the stalemate with the first real effort on goal from either side.
It wasn’t the prettiest of goals, a simple deep corner reaching Cousins at the back post and he buried the ball beyond Beadle to become the first visiting player to score at that end of the ground this season. Nobody wants Cousins turning up uninvited on Boxing Day, but the visitors grew in confidence and began to enjoy themselves and could have been further in front by half time.
Jack Stevens, undoubtedly their player of the match, denied his former club with a smart save from Goodrham after 36 minutes, but James Brophy should have done a lot better with a completely free header at the other end moments later, while Joe Bennett and Ciaron Brown made crucial blocks, both from Jack Lankester, and Beadle made a good save on 39 to keep the home side in the game at the break.
There were encouraging signs as the first half ended, with Stan Mills and Cameron Brannagan both going close, but what United needed was an early goal after the break to lift everything. Step forward Goodrham, all hustle and bustle as he cut in from the left across the edge of the box. Cambridge stood off and Goodrham fired the ball across the helpless Stevens to level at 1-1.
Now United pressed and only a wonderful save from Stevens prevented Brannagan from putting them ahead as he burst beyond the defence to fire a shot across the keeper with 20 minutes still to go. Brannagan was on a one-man mission to lift his team and drive them forward and thought he had won it when his deflected shot on 84 was saved again by Stevens, adjusting his body to twist and push the ball away at the last second.
Stevens made another save from Brannagan and then the situation at Northampton in the previous game was revesed in injury time. Branngan's deflected free kick was well saved yet again by Stevens but Brown threw himself forward and United had the win.
A great second half and plenty of entertainment for the bumper crowd. United are currently without seven players through injury (Long, Leigh, Negru, Browne, Edwards, Bodin, Murphy) and that has taken a little bit of consistency away, but what it hasn't done is take away any passion or belief.
The second half of the season starts on Friday. Derby County under the lights. Can't wait.
Att: 10,407 including 560 away
Polythene UK Fifty/50 winning number 109304 wins £1,238
Report by Chris Williams, pictures Darrell Fisher, Steve Edmunds, Steve Daniels and JasonPix