Second half goals from Kyle Joseph and Ciaron Brown earned Oxford United a superb 2-1 way win at Fleetwood this afternoon.
Joseph came off the bench to score with his first action of the game, cancelling out a Brendan Wiredu goal for the home side in a wind-affected encounter at Highbury before birthday boy Brown poked home after a late corner to end a difficult week on a real high.
Playing into the face of the gale and an accompanying sea fret, United had the conditions very much against them in the first half and understandably struggled to create many chances but then took full advantage after the break to earn their first win of the year.
In a game with several heroes, the first 45 minutes belonged to Simon Eastwood, who stood up to all that the elements or the home side could throw at him.
The keeper, restored to the starting XI, made two good saves from Cian Hayes and then a sensational one to push a Promise Omochere header away after 20 minutes. His best save came after 37 minutes when he somehow twisted to touch another Hayes flick on to the bar.
When Eastwood needed help, Marcus McGuane was there to block another shot on goal, but a goal was coming and on 44 minutes the dreaded Pugwash theme was playing as Wiredu finally found a way past Eastwood, blasting home from the edge of the box to give the Cod Army a goal lead at half time.
All was not lost, provided the wind didn’t change, and the attack-minded Billy Bodin was thrown on to find a way back into the game. United now looked to gain the initiative but found it hard to shift the pattern of the game until Joseph's dramatic return turned the game.
Within seconds of emerging from the bench, the on-loan Swansea man was on the ball and running at the retreating home defence. A break of the ball and he was planting it into the Cod Army net, levelling the scores and registering his seventh goal of the season.
There was an almighty let-off straight after when Omochere somehow managed to live up to his first name and put the ball over an open goal from a yard out, but with the wind dying down and rain relenting, the game became much more end to end.
The superb Lewis Bate did all he could to drive his side forward and in the last minute United won it when a corner was nodded back by Elliott Moore and Brown stabbed past keeepr Lynch to win the game.
Credit to both sides for producing a spectacle on a raw winter's afternoon. Oxford United: beaten by Arsenal then winners at Highbury in the same week. What a team.
Another big game coming up against Ipswich at home next Saturday. See you there.
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Report by Chris Williams, pictures Steve Daniels, Steve Edmunds, Darrell Fisher. Stats by OPTA