A Cameron Brannagan goal earned Oxford United their best result of the season, even if few fans at the Kassam Stadium could see it.
Heavy fog descended soon after kick-off but somehow the game carried on and after Yanic Wildschut's first goal for the U's had been cancelled out by Leif Davis it was the talismanic Brannagan who made it back to back wins for United with a dramatic late winner.
aving changed shape to a three man defence with Brandon Fleming making his debut as a left wing-back the U’s started well, using the new scoreboard like a lighthouse to guide them through the ever-increasing fog.
They were a match in terms of possession but also grateful that the visitors joined in with the elements and mist them all.
Keeper Simon Eastwood could see enough to parry an early drive from Lee Evans, Sam Long was alert to the danger when George Hirst seemed to be in on goal and Marcus Harness fired over after a quarter of the game - at which point the ball was switched to a yellow one to help with visibility.
Former U’s loanee Wes Burns cracked the best chance of them all against the bar and then, out of the grey, Wildschut struck. Always powerful, Wildschut ran at the Ipswich back line, got a break of the ball and then poked the ball past stranded keeper Christian Walton for a goal joyously celebrated by his team mates who love his enthusiasm, energy and the sheer amount of hard work that went in to that one moment.
United now needed to settle back into their routine and get to the break but instead the lead lasted just three minutes until a perfect cross to the back post was met by the leaping Davis and headed back across Eastwood for a first senior goal for the left-back and a 1-1 scoreline at the break.
The fog became heavier at that stage and ref Robert Madden spoke to both managers after 50 and 75 minutes, to tell them that he could see OK, even if nobody in the stand could! Thankfully the game carried on with the teams battling away gamely. Probably
Hirst loomed from the gloom and fired wide after an hour, Matty Taylor and Kyle Joseph were thrown on soon after and after a further consultation with both Managers and the captains the game carried on.
I am not going too lie. I have no idea how he got the ball, all I saw was Brannagan blasting the ball with seven minutes left and a huge roar from a crowd I could no longer see. I will settle for that every game if you like.
There was a let off at the end I could see when the visitors hit the bar and then couldn't force the ball home in the resulting scramble but if United get a little bit of luck in the second half of the season then it will make up for having none in the first.
A big win and United are in the top half of the table. Hopefully we can all see where they are heading...
Att: 9,830
Away:1,491
Report by Chris Williams, pictures Darrell Fisher, Steve Daniels and Steve Edmunds