Oxford United will spend another season in League One after Karl Robinson’s side were beaten 2-1 by Wycombe Wanderers in the League One playoff final.
Anthony Stewart headed the Chairboys into the lead from a distinguished set piece delivery, but Mark Sykes levelled things after the break with a cross-cum-shot.
But when goalkeeper Simon Eastwood wiped out Fred Onyedinma in the box, Joe Jacobson successfully converted the penalty which ultimately sent the Chairboys through.
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Karl Robinson made one change from the second leg against Portsmouth with Matty Taylor replacing Jamie Mackie up front.
Eastwood began in goal, behind a back four of Josh Ruffels, Elliott Moore, Rob Dickie and Sam Long.
Alex Rodriguez Gorrin sat in front of the back four, with Cameron Brannagan and Sykes just ahead. Marcus Browne, who scored the U’s only goal in the first leg at Portsmouth, and James Henry were the wide men, with top-scorer Taylor leading the line.
The U’s started as firm favourites and, as expected, dominated possession early on. But, like against Fleetwood in the first leg of their playoff semi-final, Wycombe capitalised on their threat of set pieces inside ten minutes when a Jacobson corner was met by Stewart. Eastwood came but was unable to reach, and the defenders’ header went in off the U’s goalkeeper.
Shortly after, Onyedinma struck from distance, and Eastwood was only able to palm the ball away. But the U’s continued to dominate possession and soon had their first shot. Henry and Sykes combined down the right before Long fired just wide.
Wycombe were very compact when not in possession and Robinson’s side struggled to get into the opponents half. When they did, Sykes and Henry combined again but Stewart expertly blocked a low cross which would have resulted in a Taylor tap-in.
The second half saw Liam Kelly replace Gorrin, who picked up his customary yellow card in the first half. The change immediately added tempo to the game.
Stewart again cleared the danger from Sykes but was unable to do anything when the Northern Irishman got clear five minutes later. Henry played the ball through the lines down the right and, with Taylor unmarked in the middle, Sykes looked up. But, his cross-cum-shot eluded Ryan Allsop and looped into the top corner.
The U’s could, and probably should, have taken the lead moments later. A ricochet fell to Brannagan who found Henry, but the Oxford winger opted to square it to Taylor instead of firing at goal. The pass was blocked.
By now, Oxford were beginning to assert their dominance and create more chances. Dickie was denied from a corner before Allsop expertly denied the defenders second effort with a low save.
The U’s then handed Wycombe the chance to regain the lead. Firstly, Browne felt the ball crossed the line for a throw deep in the Wycombe half, but Allsop smashed the ball forward, Moore let the ball bounce through to Eastwood but Onyedinma had burst onto the loose ball. The winger got the slightest touch as Eastwood charged out and wiped the Wycombe man out in the box.
A penalty was awarded, but Eastwood wasn’t dismissed. Jacobson, who missed a penalty at Oxford last season, calmly struck down the middle to give Gareth Ainsworth’s side the lead for a second time.
Dickie was denied again but in truth, the U’s had seen their momentum fall away. Wycombe held on to secure promotion to the second tier for the first time in the clubs’ history.
