Late goals kill off United

Oxford United so nearly shocked high-flying neighbours Reading in a pulsating derby at the Madejski Stadium.

They twice came back from a goal down, before being cruelly caught by two goals in the last 12 minutes which gave Reading victory and sent them to the top of Division 2.

When Jamie Cureton put the Royals 2-1 up midway through the second half, it looked like being a straightforward ninth successive away defeat for United.

But, showing great spirit and going forward with enterprise, they hit back with two goals in three minutes.

Moments after Cureton's goal, Peter Fear delivered a free-kick which Lee Jarman knocked back across the box from the far post and Adrian Viveash, the former Swindon Town player, turned it into his own net.

For the Oxford fans behind that goal, it was a moment of great joy and three minutes later, they were delirious as Jon Richardson rose at the near post to glance in a Fear header and put Oxford 3-2 ahead.

But Reading had always been a force going forward, especially in such slippery conditions as torrential rain made defending difficult, and after Richard Knight had brilliantly saved a fierce drive from Darren Caskey, Tony Rougier bundled Lee Hodges's corner into the net to make it 3-3.

And there was to be a final kick in the teeth for United and their fans as Reading snatched victory just three minutes from time.

Andy Linighan failed to clear substitute Jim McIntyre's left-wing cross, the ball spun off his foot and Rougier buried his ten-yard shot past a helpless Knight.

For United, it was a sad end to a riveting spectacle, one of those rare games of passion and total endeavour where you couldn't take your eye off the play for a second.

The game began with blue and white balls still scattered across the pitch and rain sweeping across the stadium, and fans behind Phil Whitehead's goal were left to scurry for cover and swap their exposed seats for ones higher up the stand.

Mike Ford made three changes to the side which started against Wigan, recalling Steve Anthrobus up front and Neil McGowan at left wingback, while Jarman replaced the injured Jon Shepheard in defence.

Reading, unbeaten at home in the league this season, were immediately on the attack. Martin Butler was put through on the right side of the box but Knight beat out his shot. Latching on to the rebound, Butler then controlled the ball on his chest and shot, left-footed, against the outside of the post.

Yet United weathered the early pressure and were finding good amounts of space, McGowan in particular breaking positively down the left.

Indeed, both John Robertson and McGowan were bursting well down the flanks and getting in good crosses.

And so too did Derek Lilley after a well-worked move in the 20th minute, but the centre just eluded Anthrobus's head.

On 27 minutes, United suffered a body blow when Jarman brought down Caskey just inside the penalty area and Caskey sent Knight the wrong way from the spot.

The Oxford players had protested that the challenge was outside the box, but it looked a yard inside.

With the home crowd roused, Richardson brought down Martin Butler in full flow and was booked.

It was a comical error from former U's keeper Phil Whitehead which gifted the visitors their opening equaliser.

Whitehead failed to hold on to a header back from Newman on his goalline, three yards out, and the alert Lilley was able to steal the ball and run it into an empty goal.

The first half was enthralling but the second became sensational from the moment Caskey fired home after Knight had parried a Viveash header.

Sadly for United, too many individual errors let them down again at vital moments. Yet they certainly deserved something for their contribution to a wonderful game of football played in atrocious conditions and they might so easily have won.