Substitute Danny Morgan rescued a point for Oxford United just two minutes from time in a pulsating derby at the Kassam Stadium on Saturday.

The young striker, who had come off the bench to snatch a late goal in the pre-season friendly against Leicester, had only been on the pitch seven minutes when Chris Hackett curled in a free-kick.

Morgan escaped his marker and headed powerfully home for his first league goal.

It was no more than United deserved, though they threw away the initiative after the break, and it was Wycombe who looked like heading home with all three points thanks to a second-half Nathan Tyson double.

The exciting and dramatic climax to the match left both sets of supporters breathless, yet also wondering what might have been.

The pre-match build-up had all been about Tommy Mooney.

The former U's striker got plenty of 'stick' from the home fans at the start as the rain fell steadily.

U's boss Brian Talbot preferred Craig Davies to Steve Basham up front. And it looked a good decision as the Welshman unsettled Wycombe's defenders by closing down quickly and denying them time on the ball.

Wycombe had the first glimmer of a chance when Danny Senda's whipped-in cross from the right went into a dangerous area at the near post, but no-one could get on it before Billy Turley gathered.

The contest was highly competitive, as to be expected of a derby, but before the break Oxford seemed first to almost every ball.

Hackett fired United in front with a glorious team goal - and his first at the Kassam Stadium.

Chris Hargreaves won the ball in the centre of the park, Barry Quinn set Davies free on the left with a glorious pass and Davies picked out Hackett, coming in at the far post with a first-time cross.

With goalkeeper Frank Talia slipping, Hackett finished sweetly.

There were ironic cheers from the Oxford fans when, at the other end, Mooney shot well wide. "What a waste of money" came the chant from the Oxford Mail Stand.

United were defending resolutely. Chris Willmott made a vital interception after Matt Bloomfield had got behind their defence, and later both Hargreaves and Quinn timed their tackles perfectly - not only to break up attacks, but to set off counter-attacks.

Hackett spurted past two players and struck a 25-yard drive just a yard wide, and from a Hackett free-kick, Willmott ghosted in to meet it with a header at the back post.

He couldn't direct it goalwards, but Ashton almost bundled home the loose ball.

When United broke, they did so in numbers. On one occasion they had eight charging goalwards.

Turley did not have a save to make in the first half, but he had to be quickly off his line when a ricochet sent the ball into space just in front of Mooney.

At the very start of the second half, however, United had a scare when Tyson broke free. Turley made an excellent smothering save as Tyson tried to shoot under his body, and the keeper then reacted quickly to dive on the loose ball.

Stuart Gray tested Talia with a 20-yard drive, which the keeper tipped over for a corner, and moments later he got behind a useful angled shot from Lee Bradbury.

Ashton was booked for a foul just outside the box, but Mooney hit the free-kick into the wall.

But on 69 minutes, the U's lost the ball in attack, Wanderers broke down the right through Ian Stonebridge and Kevin Betsy, and although Turley saved Roger Johnson's first effort, Tyson's angled drive beat covering defenders on the line.

Wycombe now looked a different team and kept going forward.

Tyson made it 2-1 with five minutes to go. Betsy got behind the defence, pulled the ball back and Tyson rifled into the roof of the net.

But Morgan saved the day.