THE most nerve-wracking and special moments of Darryl Eales’s three seasons at Oxford United came an hour apart on the night they reached Wembley a month ago.

Progress looked comfortable at Kenilworth Road as the U’s went into the final 20 minutes of the semi-final 2-0 up against Luton Town.

But within the blink of an eye it was 2-2 and the visitors appeared to have blown their big chance, until Marvin Johnson’s wonderful winner five minutes from time.

Eales, United’s chairman, said: “The Luton game was probably the most agonising game of football I’ve ever watched.

“It was completely unenjoyable until we knew the result. Everyone was drained.”

But with Eales finally able to stop watching through his fingers, he led the celebrations on the 60-mile return trip to Oxfordshire.

“The coach journey on the way back was I would say one of the highlights of my tenure,” he said.

“You had half the coaching staff and all the players at the back of the bus playing Sweet Caroline in the middle of Luton.

“We stopped at on off licence and a few of us went in to buy £100-worth of beer.

“The bloke in there gave us a free bottle of coke because he’d never taken an order that big.

“I think those little things are the ones that make it special.”