Tyler Goodrham scored his fourth goal of the season to earn Oxford a point against Millwall
Tyler Goodrham's late strike from outside the box saw Oxford United snatch a point at home to Millwall in the Championship.
The Lions took the lead just before half-time through a header from Japhet Tanganga as the defender rose highest at the back post from a corner to power the ball into the Oxford net.
With Millwall looking comfortable going into the closing stages, the U's applied some late pressure and got their reward when Goodrham smashed a shot into the top corner of the net to steal a point for Des Buckingham's side.
Millwall remain nine games unbeaten in the Championship and stay ninth in the table, while Oxford rise two places to 16th.
Oxford came into the game with the welcome boost of the return of captain Elliot Moore and he nearly headed them into the lead inside the opening three minutes, his effort flying just wide of the Millwall goal.
Goodrham then had a wonderful chance to give the hosts the lead on 17 minutes when he won possession and ran through on goal with options either side of him.
He decided to take on the shot himself from just outside the box, with his effort well saved by Lions keeper Lukas Jensen who dived high to his right and palmed it behind for a corner.
Millwall grew into the game as the first half progressed, with the likes of Femi Azeez causing issues for the Oxford defence and increasing the pressure, creating chances in and around the U’s box.
In the 45th minute it was Tanganga who gave the visiting side the lead from a set-piece.
The defender escaped his marker from a corner and headed the ball accurately into the back of the net from a narrow angle for the game’s opener and his second goal of the season.
Oxford players appealed for the goal to be disallowed as some felt that Millwall’s Azeez on the line was preventing U’s keeper Jamie Cumming from moving across and attempting to save.
But referee Anthony Backhouse waved away those appeals and awarded the goal to Neil Harris’ side.
If it was not for the smart defending of Oxford’s Greg Leigh, then Millwall could have had a second five minutes into the second half.
Azeez broke down the left and crossed low into the box where three attackers were waiting to tap it home but Leigh was well positioned in front of them to clear the danger.
Millwall managed most of the second half well but Oxford upped the pressure in the final moments and managed to snatch an equaliser thanks to Goodrham in the 85th minute.
The 21-year-old cut in from the right and found space on the edge of the box, and then with his left foot smashed the ball into the top right-hand corner of the goal to ensure the spoils were shared.
Oxford United boss Des Buckingham speaking to BBC Radio Oxford:
“We’re disappointed with a point. We didn’t play our game in the first half and there was clearly some rust there, we needed to play with the ball and move the ball quicker.
“It was a much better second half for us and we need to make sure that with the run of games we have coming up that the second half is how we are for a full game.
“The players that came on in the second half helped to get us up the pitch and gave us different ways of causing a threat, Tyler (Goodrham) doesn’t score tap ins does he.”
Millwall boss Neil Harris speaking to BBC Radio London:
“I’m really disappointed that we only got a point.
“In the second half Oxford played better without creating any chances until the goal, I thought we were poor with the ball and not as creative in the second half.
“We handled the game up until 80 minutes really well and then we became a bit ragged and lost our shape a bit. When we lost Josh Coburn to injury at half-time and you have no Duncan Watmore and Hutch (Shaun Hutchinson) has had to come off it just shows how important certain players are within our group.”
