An extra time header from Jordan Rhodes cancelled out a Greg Leigh goal at the Kassam Stadium this afternoon as the U's had to settle for a first draw of the season.
Leigh's first half goal, finishing off a magnificent passing move, looked enough to win it for United, but Blackpool hit back and Rhodes, whose first senior goal came as a loanee at the U's, nodded them level in the 93rd minute of a fiercely competitive game.
With Josh McEachran settling in seamlessly in place of the ill Cameron Brannagan, United started strongly but found Blackpool hard to break down until Leigh's incredible start to his Oxford career continued with his fifth goal in eight games.
Fresh back from two games with Jamaica, Leigh was constantly the danger man despite nominally being at left-back in a four-man defence. He popped up on the wrong flank to head a deep cross into the waiting gloves of keeper Dan Grimshaw after half an hour with the first chance of the afternoon, and six minutes later crashed home his fifth goal of the season to put United in front.
Watch it back; the passing and movement were mesmeric as Ruben Rodrigues knitted together a series of one-twos down the left. The team then moved the ball sweetly across the face of the box and when Marcus McGuane spread the ball to Stan Mills he clipped in a cross for Leigh, who had ghosted through a static Blackpool defence to joyously thump the ball past the exposed Grimshaw. Leighthal.
A goal down, the visitors needed to raise their game after the break and they became more of a threat as the game wore on.
Sonny Carey lobbed a half chance into James Beadle's arms when he might have done better with their first clear opening of the match, Shayne Lavery planted a similar chance over the bar after 66 minutes, and James Husband steered a header wide on 70 as their ambitions grew.
It wasn't one-way traffic but United were becoming stretched. Carey lobbed a chance over and Rhodes was denied by an outstanding save from Beadle, but three minutes into added time Rhodes dived to glance the ball home and United were forced to settle for their first draw of the campaign
A good game of football between two good sides. You cannot win every game and United will now look to get back to winning ways when they get on the road to Wigan on Tuesday.
Att: 9,417
Away: 781
Polythene UK Fifty/50 winning number 97163 wins £1001
Report by Chris Williams, pictures JasonPIx, Rex Shutterstock, Steve Daniels, Steve Edmunds and Darrell Fisher.
Stats by OPTA