A last-minute penalty from Alfie Devine gave Port Vale a 2-1 win over nine-man Oxford United at the Kassam Stadium this afternoon.
Alex Iacovitti's header looked to be handing Andy Crosby's Vale side a win after United's top scorer Mark Harris was sent off, but Greg Leigh crashed home an equaliser and then got sent off two minutes later, before Devine intervened to make it five unbeaten for the visitors in the most dramatic of fashions.
As is usually the case, United had plenty of the ball but this time the game was to explode into life late on.
United were on top for much of the first half, although James Beadle still needed to make a smart save in the opening exchanges, parrying a James Wilson effort in the third minute before United truly settled.
Once they did, some of the football was very nice to watch; a driving run by Marcus McGuane and some clever promoting by Ruben Rodrigues pushing them forward, and Greg Leigh keen to join the attack down the left-hand flank on an excellent debut. Billy Bodin had two efforts, Cameron Brannagan another, and the best chance came for Tyler Goodrham, whose low drive from a tight angle was blocked by keeper Conor Ripley to keep it at 0-0 at the break.
However, a clear chance never really materialised and Vale again came at United after the restart, with Elliott Moore making one great block to keep an Ethan Chislett effort away from true danger.
United weathered that, and Harris was close with a drive on 52 minutes; Brannagan fired into the gloves of Ripley on 59 and the tide was starting to flow their way until just after the hour, when Harris caught Nathan Smith with his arm and ref Sam Purkiss showed him a straight red card.
United still went for the win: an audacious Rodrigues chip soon after the red card landed on the roof of the net with Ripley not sure whether to leave it or not, but on 74 minutes they were behind when Devine flighted in an inviting free kick and Iacovitti got up highest in a crowded penalty area to glide the ball past the helpless Beadle.
United pressed and did all they could to regain parity, but Vale are a tough side to break down and nothing quite fell Oxford's way. A Stephan Negru header was hacked off the line and that looked to be it until sub Stan Mills burst away down the right and squared for Leigh, who thumped home to seemingly give his side a deserved draw.
However, Leigh then saw red after mistiming a tackle, and when Moore tripped Ben Garrity in the eighth minute of the seven added on, it was left to Devine to decide a fine game with an unstoppable penalty to leave Vale as the first away side to win at the Kassam Stadium this season.
A blip after a superb run, but now it becomes all about how United respond. Plenty of time to do so.
Att: 8,835
Away: 691
Fifty/50 winning number 89805 wins £1,090
Report by Chris Williams, pictures JasonPix, Steve Daniels, Steve Edmunds, Darrell Fisher and Rex Shutterstock