Oxford United ended their season with a 1-1 draw with Doncaster Rovers at the Kassam Stadium this afternoon.
A Billy Bodin goal in the first half was cancelled out by a fine goal from Josh Martin in the second to leave United on 76 points for the season and just shy of a third successive finish in the play-off places.
United's goal came after 22 minutes. Marcus McGuane’s clever flick started a characteristic move forward, with Player of the Year Cameron Brannagan at the heart of it. Matty Taylor crossed, former U’s keeper Johnny Mitchell was wrong-footed and could only touch it on and Bodin ghosted in at the back post to chest home from almost under the bar.
With Elliott Moore’s partner going into labour, youth team defender James Golding was given a final day opportunity to impress and took that chance well with a very composed performance on the left of a back three, although he was grateful to Jack Stevens for somehow flipping the ball over the bar to prevent an own goal after half an hour.
Golding then made a vital challenge a minute later to deny Doncaster an equaliser and caught the eye throughout with his willingness to carry the ball out of defence and spread the ball wide.
Ryan Williams, full of energy as he has been all season, fizzed a left-footed effort against the post after half an hour and went close with a similar effort soon after the break, while Matty Taylor was denied by Mitchell just before the hour. But United understandably lacked a little intensity, knowing they couldn't achieve what they had set out to do back in August.
Doncaster, needing to win by over 20 goals AND rely on results elsewhere even then, had played with plenty of heart and will be contenders next season in League 2 and deserved their goal, a superb strike from Josh Martin that flew past the startled Stevens from 30 yards out.
United gave teenage striker Gatlin O'Donkor a league debut for the final 15 minutes, making it four Academy products on the pitch, and pushed for a winner, with Golding denied a goal by a defender on the line after 87 minutes.
We wish Doncaster good luck for the push to regain League 1 status next year. United will regroup, rebuild and come back stronger.
See you next season.
Att: 9,139
Away: 440
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Report by Chris Williams, pictures by Steve Daniels and Steve Edmunds, stats by OPTA