By Jon Murray OXFORD United are becoming the comeback kings of the FA Cup.

Mickey Lewis's never-say-die team staged a recovery Lazarus would have been proud of in a dramatic second-round replay against Shrewsbury at the Manor Ground last night.

There were just two seconds of normal time remaining when Matt Murphy equalised to take the game into extra time.

Oxford then clung on to their place in this season's competition with Murphy scoring again three minutes before the end of extra time to avoid the lottery of a penalty shoot-out.

New technical director Ray Harford, watching the team for the first time, could only marvel at the spirit of a side who were behind in the first round at home to Morecambe, and two goals down against the Shrews at Gay Meadow.

The exciting 2-1 win brings United a potentially lucrative FA Cup third-round tie at Nottingham Forest on Friday, December 10.

But goal-grabber Murphy disputes any suggestion that Lewis is a lucky manager. "I don't know about lucky. Man Utd win European Cups and things in the last minutes. It's not being lucky, Mickey's a great manager at the moment.

"We're trying to play total football and be patient, and if you have to wait and score in the last few minutes, that's sometimes what it takes."

He added: "Admittedly, the goals took their time coming. I'd hit the post a couple of times and I thought it wasn't going to be my night. But fortunately those chances, right at the end of normal time, and then right at the end of extra time, both dropped in.

"The new style of play that we've brought back into the club may not be to the crowd's liking, but we feel that's the way forward. We feel that's how we're going to break teams down, so we're going to stick at it and hopefully it will bring us results."

Murphy conceded that one or two players' minds were starting to drift towards the dreaded penalty shoot-out. "There were a few of us starting to think about penalties and a few of us who were worrying what they were going to do with their penalties," he said.

"But they were confident they were going to take them and I'm sure, had it come to that, we'd have had enough people to step forward. But fortunately, it didn't get that far.

"We've been behind every time in the Cup this season, so we like to do it the hard way. If we go in front, I think we start worrying!"

Said Lewis: "It was a hell of a game. Football's scary at times, but it was exciting.

"The way these players have performed recently and the way their spirit has been, we never give up to the end.

"We had four chances in the second half and every single one was created by passing it. When we kicked it long, it seems like we may have a chance, but we never get anywhere because they head it back and then you use up a lot of energy chasing the ball.

"I know it's frustrating watching and frustrating for the crowd, but eventually you get into good areas to cross the ball.

"We didn't play brilliantly tonight but there was great spirit, and that's what won us the game."

Story date: Wednesday 01 December

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