Oxford's first away game of the season ended in disappointment as Coventry scored a late, late winner to take the three points at the CBS Arena this evening.
United twice came back to equalise, with Ciaron Brown cancelling out Haji Wright's opener and then Mark Harris doing the same after Milan van Ewijk had restored the Sky Blues' lead. Unfortunately, Wright grabbed his second in the 96th minute following a defensive error.
The U's retained the same starting XI that beat Norwich City on Saturday, with Matt Phillips and new signing Dane Scarlett on the bench. This meant Jamie Cumming was protected by a back four of Sam Long, Elliott Moore, Brown and Joe Bennett, with Will Vaulks the shield in front of them. Tyler Goodrham and Przemysław Płacheta provided the width either side of Cameron Brannagan and Rúben Rodrigues, with Harris up top.
The early stages were fairly even, the home side with most of the possession but Oxford looking dangerous on the break, particularly with the pace of Goodrham causing Coventry concern. Long did well to keep up with and then dispossess Wright as the U's defence stood firm.
It was Wright, though, that struck the opening blow in the 15th minute as he rose highest to head home a tempting van Ewijk cross from the right wing. Wright almost turned provider three minutes later but Ellis Simms was just unable to reach his low cross along the six yard box.
Coventry had their tails up and were keeping United pegged back, but in the 22nd minute Jack Rudoni's foul on Goodrham was punished. Vaulks' free kick was headed on by Rodrigues to Harris. He played the ball forward and it fell nicely to Brown to find the bottom corner for the equaliser.
On the half hour van Ewijk went from creator to scorer as a simple ball across the face of United's area was met by the onrushing right back to crash the ball past Cumming and restore Coventry's lead.
If the first half had started quite slowly, the second started like a rocket, with Coventry winning two successive corners and Simms shooting wide, all in the first three minutes.
However, United regrouped and ten minutes into the half they had their second equaliser. Goodrham slipped in Brannagan on the left and he sent a low cross to the far post, where Rodrigues stooped to head the ball goalwards from on the floor; it took a slight but significant deflection off Harris, who claimed his second goal of the season.
The scoreline somehow remained 2-2 when Coventry had a corner midway through the second period. Josh Eccles headed the delivery goalwards and Cumming somehow kept the ball out, referee David Coote checking his watch to get Hawkeye confirmation that it hadn't crossed the line.
Cumming was again the hero with an astonishing double save as the clock crept towards the 90 mark. First, he palmed away a goalbound header, but the ball fell nicely to a Coventry forward whose shot was arrowing into the near corner before United's stopper stuck out his leg to divert the ball away. As if that wasn't enough, he then threw himself full length to keep out Brandon Thomas-Asante's long-range drive.
The game was deep into the seven added minutes when Coventry scored the winner. Vaulks played the ball back to Elliott but overhit his pass and it fell nicely into Wright's path. Cumming did enough to force the striker wide, but in the end it was a simple tap in to earn the three points for the home side.
It's only the second game of a long campaign and far from a disaster. In fact, the closeness of the game shows how far Oxford have come since January's heavy FA Cup defeat at the same venue. We'll be back here again soon enough (a week and a half, in fact), but United now have a full week to regroup and go again at Blackburn next Saturday.
United: Cumming, Long, Brown, Vaulks, Moore, Płacheta (Phillips 57), Brannagan, Harris (Scarlett 89), Bennett, Goodrham (Sibley 78), Rodrigues (El Mizouni 57)
Unused subs: Ingram, McEachran, Ebiowei, Leigh, Kioso
Attendance: 28,051 (including 1,868 away fans)
Report: Martin Brodetsky; Photos: JasonPix
