Oxford United went out of the Emirates FA Cup with a 3-1 defeat at Exeter City this afternoon despite taking an early lead through Matt Phillips.
A first-half brace from Demetri Mitchell and a second-half strike by Vincent Harper mean that it's the Grecians that advance into the fourth round as the U's finished the game with ten men following Tyler Goodrham's dismissal.
Gary Rowett rang the changes, with just three players who started the last game at Preston North End in today's starting line-up. Matt Ingram was in goal, while Hidde ter Avest and Jordan Thorniley joined Sam Long and Greg Leigh in the back four. Louie Sibley and Josh McEachran came into midfield with Idris El Mizouni and Siriki Dembélé, leaving Dane Scarlett in the striker role and Phillips wide on the right.
United had the first opportunity within the first minute as Phillips played the ball into Dembélé. He slipped it wide for Sibley whose shot was saved with his legs by Joe Whitworth. The next chance came Scarlett's way after Dembélé found him in space on the edge of the area, but his shot was deflected wide.
The opening goal, in the 16th minute, was a classic counter attack following an Exeter corner. Dembélé broke and played an inch-perfect pass into the path of Scarlett on the right. His cross across the area to the back post was met by Phillips who shot first time past Whitworth.
Exeter came close to an instant reply when Caleb Watts fired in a cross from the goal line and Long's header diverted it onto the post before Oxford cleared. The equaliser also came from a left-wing cross, Harper swinging the ball to the far side of the area where Mitchell volleyed spectacularly past Ingram in the 23rd minute.
With five minutes to go to the break, United found themselves behind for the first time under Rowett and it was Mitchell again doing the damage, shooting into the bottom corner after the ball fell for him from another Watts cross into the area.
Exeter's third came against the run of play, just after the U's made a double substitution that included new signing Alex Matos making his debut, as Exeter broke from a spell of pressure and Harper shot home from the edge of the area to give United a huge task to stay in the competition.
United's task was made much harder with 10 minutes remaining when Goodrham was shown a straight red card for retaliating after being brought down by Jake Richards.
There was still time for another Oxford debut, as Indonesia international Marselino Ferdinan was given the last few minutes to show what he could do.
However, despite the additional seven minutes at the end of the game, it's League One Exeter City that finds its name in the hat for tomorrow's draw, while Oxford return to Devon on Tuesday for Championship action against Plymouth Argyle in the rearranged game.
UNITED: Ingram, Long, McEachran (Goodrham 64), Phillips (Płacheta 69), Sibley, El Mizouni (Matos 64), Leigh, Dembélé (Ferdinan 89), ter Avest (Kioso 70), Thorniley, Scarlett
Unused subs: Cumming, Brown, Vaulks, Rodrigues
Attendance: 6,149 including 640 from Oxford
Report: Martin Brodetsky; Photography: JasonPix, Steve Edmunds
