Oxford United came from two goals down to secure a fifth consecutive league win for the first time since April 2008.
The U’s found themselves two goals down in the first half, with Josh Vela being dismissed for a second yellow just after the hosts second goal, but Marcus Browne netted before the break to reduce the deficit. Dan Agyei midway through the second half and a late Josh Ruffels strike secured the win for Karl Robinson’s side.
Your #oufc XI this afternoon pic.twitter.com/INUlm7SiZt
— Oxford Mail OUFC (@OxfordMailOUFC) March 7, 2020
Karl Robinson made two changes from the side that edged past Southend last weekend with Sam Long replacing Anthony Forde at right-back, while Nathan Holland came in for Mark Sykes.
Simon Eastwood sat behind a back four of Ruffels, Elliott Moore Rob Dickie and Long.
Alex Rodriguez Gorrin sat behind Cameron Brannagan and Browne with Holland and James Henry out wide. Matty Taylor, who had scored seven in his last six, led the line.
The U’s started brightly. Browne and Henry linked up well, but Holland was unable to control the ball, before Taylor beat goalkeeper Max O’Leary but struck wide from a tight angle.
At the other end, Jason Cummings forced Eastwood into a save before Callum Lang saw his effort blocked.
And after 12 minutes, Shrewsbury took the lead. Daniel Udoh met Cummings’ delivery and on the bounce, slotted past Eastwood as the U’s conceded their first goal in five games.
Cummings then found space but was stopped by Dickie. Eastwood was then forced into another save as the hosts began to assert their dominance.
The Shrews then doubled their lead 12 minutes before the break. A free-kick was cleared but Lang picked up the loose ball and fired past Eastwood to give the hosts some deserved breathing space.
But one minute later, Josh Vela picked up his second yellow card after a late challenge on Browne. From the resulting free-kick, Henry’s delivery was cleared but picked up by Holland, who beat his man before going down in the box. The U’s felt it should have been a penalty, but their claims were waved away.
The game edged closer to half time but the U’s managed to reduce the deficit before the break. Brannagan pinged a diagonal ball from deep which found Browne, who slotted past O’Leary from an acute angle.
After the restart, it appeared the hosts seemed content to sit on their lead with the man deficit. The U’s pushed and probed; Moore went close from a corner before Brannagan saw his effort deflected wide.
Agyei replaced Gorrin on the hour mark and within a minute, Oxford were level. The substitute picked the ball up on the edge of the box and curled into the top corner past O’Leary.
Oxford had their tails up and looked the likelier side to find a winner. Henry and Agyei both squandered chances but the U’s looked unable to find that killer touch despite their dominance.
At the other end, Udoh fired straight at Eastwood but the U’s countered and continued to look the more threatening side.
Eventually, the pressure paid off. Browne swung a free-kick in and Ruffels headed home what proved to be the winner.
The U’s held on to secure another important win, moving Robinson’s side up to 3rd in League One as a result.
