Oxford United closed out their first season back in the Championship with a thrilling 3-3 draw away to Swansea City, with a Przemysław Płacheta stoppage time equaliser earning a point.
Jisung Eom gave the hosts the lead midway through the first half, but this was cancelled out by Greg Leigh just before the break. Swansea's lead was restored by Ronald before Michał Helik got the U's back on level terms shortly afterwards. Liam Cullen thought he'd won the game for the home side with a late header, but with the game in stoppage time, former Swan Płacheta joyously fired home to bring an end to an entertaining contest and an entertaining season.
Gary Rowett made six changes for his final starting line-up of the campaign, including Matt Ingram's first league appearance in goal in place of Jamie Cumming, who missed his first league game since joining the side in January 2024. In defence, Hidde ter Avest started instead of Sam Long, with Alex Matos taking Will Vaulks' place in midfield. Stan Mills was given a run out on the wing, with Przemysław Płacheta dropping to the bench, and Ole Romeny took Mark Harris's place up front.
In addition, there was a late change that saw skipper Elliott Moore recalled to the starting line-up after Ben Nelson pulled up during the warm up.
There was an early scare for United from a third-minute Swansea corner that Rúben Rodrigues was forced to clear off the goal line, but five minutes later it was Rodrigues with a glorious chance to give Oxford the lead following good work by Mills and Romeny down the right, but the Portuguese midfielder couldn't quite get the ball under control.
For the hosts, Eom was a constant threat down the left and it was he who scored the opening goal in the 23rd minute, cutting inside and curling a shot out of Ingram's reach into the top corner.
United looked for an instant response, driving into the Swansea area, but Cameron Brannagan's shot lacked power and was an easy take for Lawrence Vigouroux, who then had to be alert to catch a dropping ball just ahead of the lurking Romeny.
It took until the 40th minute for Oxford to reply and it was a goal just as good as Eom's. A Tyler Goodrham free kick was knocked into the air and the dropping ball fell for Leigh to volley the ball home to bring the scores level with his sixth strike of the season.
In the final minute of the first half, Mills found himself through on goal and, from a tight angle, his shot beat Vigouroux but came back off the foot of the far post.
The second half was 12 minutes in when the Swans took the lead again, Ronald drifting in at the back post to convert a hopeful cross while the U's were temporarily reduced to ten men as Romeny was off the pitch receiving treatment.
Swansea's lead lasted just four minutes before United were level again. A Goodrham corner fell in the gap behind the defence and Helik was on hand to score for the second game running from about two metres.
There was a league debut for Marselino Ferdinan, who replaced fellow Indonesia international Romeny, before Ingram was called into some rare action with ten minutes remaining when he had to thrust out a hand to deny Cullen. However, Swansea's leading scorer wasn't to be denied for long, as he stooped to head home from a left-wing cross just a couple of minutes later.
In their search for a third equaliser, Goodrham forced Vigouroux into a routine save before substitute Płacheta did the business after being teed up by Goodrham to fire into the roof of the net against his former club.
A roller-coaster game to end a season of ups and downs, and this topsy-turvy match was a fitting way to draw it to a conclusion. But come August, Oxford United will be playing Championship football again.
UNITED: Ingram, Moore, Brannagan, Romeny (Ferdinan 77), Matos, Goodrham, Rodrigues (Harris 67), Leigh (Bennett 77), ter Avest (Long 88), Mills (Płacheta 66), Helik
Unused subs: Cumming, Phillips, Kioso
Attendance: 19,672 (including 2,006 from Oxford)
Report: Martin Brodetsky; Photography: JasonPix, Steve Edmunds
