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Mickey Corcoran celebrates his goal

Mickey Corcoran turned from villain to hero and back to villain again as Oxford United frustratingly conceded another late goal at home.

Just when it looked as though they had chalked up their second home win in a week to move up to sixth in the table, they were pegged back by an Onome Sodje equaliser ten minutes from time, which leaves them in eighth place in the Blue Square Premier.

Corcoran gave away a penalty on 32 minutes only to see Billy Turley superbly save Stuart Elliott's spot kick, and five minutes later the Ulsterman headed home his first goal at the Kassam Stadium.

It came from Alex Jeannin's well-flighted free-kick from the right after Yemi Oudbade was tripped on the very edge of York's area. Corcoran rose at the far post and thumped his header into the net.

Reader Poll Who was United's man of the match against York? Billy Turley 50.0% Alex |Jeannin 50.0% Barry Quinn 0.0% Matt Day 0.0% Gary Twigg 0.0%

His goal celebrations indicated more than a hint of relief. Although he protested about the penalty he had given away, when striker Paul Brayson turned him and then appeared to be impeded by a flailing loose hand, most referees would have given it.

But Turley came to his rescue by diving full-length low to his left to turn Elliott's spot kick around the post.

However, with the game drawing towards its conclusion, and United seemingly set for victory, Corcoran ducked out of a defensive header when Martyn Woolford crossed from the right, following a corner, and Sodje had the simplest of tasks to head home.

The only explanation for Corcoran's error was that he had heard a call of "leave it" - but he still shouldn't have done.

United had a let-off in only the third minute when poorly marked striker Paul Brayson headed a right-wing cross over Billy Turley and against the bar with the rest of the home defenders standing like statues.

Five minutes after Oxford had gone in front, they lost Duffy to a hand injury but not before he had been yellow-carded for dissent, protesting too much when the ref blew for a foul against him.

And when Barry Quinn collected an injury at the start of the second half, Jim Smith decided not to take any riskes with him and gave Chris Willmott a run-out on his 30th birthday, his first taste of action this year following knee surgery.

Oxford Utd: Turley, Corcoran, Quinn (Willmott 56), Day, Anaclet, Hutchinson (Pettefer 65), Trainer, Jeannin, Shaw, Odubade, Duffy (Twigg 42). Subs not used: Cisak, Rose.

Att: 4,944 (220 from York).

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