Well, as I often say to my masseuse, I love a happy ending and yesterday’s draw with Millwall provided exactly that. If you’re going to draw a game, it’s always better to be the team that equalises, and when that equaliser comes in the fifth minute of stoppage time, even better.

It was a bit of a weird atmosphere at the start. I was a bit late leaving the pub, so missed all the minute’s silence, but I’m sure that – and the relatively low attendance – couldn’t have helped gee up the crowd much. Having said that, the side started quite well and when Millwall took the lead in the 10th minute it was a bit of a surprise.

It was also an absolutely rubbish goal to concede. It came straight from the Will Vaulks playbook: a long throw slung into the mixer to see what happens. What did happen was Michał Helik and Ciaron Brown both went to attack the ball and both missed it. It bounced up kindly for Thierno Ballo who, unmarked, had a simple header into the corner of the net for his first Millwall goal. It was the kind of meat that any Lion would be grateful for.

It would have been easy for Oxford to let the game get away from them against the team in third place. But instead, they responded well and continued to get forward, with Brian De Keersmaecker having one excellent first-time shot that Max Crocombe – former keeper of this parish, academy product and all-round nice guy – saved somewhat awkwardly, with the ball getting away from him.

Shortly afterwards, it was BDK turning provider with a dangerous cross that Brown got his head to, but Meeix was there again to this time hold onto the ball. At least United were looking lively and creating chances, and when Millwall’s Femi Azeez went off injured, it blunted much of the Lions’ attacking threat.

United, of course, have an attacking threat of their own and, with the game approaching first-half stoppage time, the U’s got the equaliser they deserved. Stan Mills picked up the ball on the right, drove inside and picked out the waiting Cameron Brannagan on the edge of the D. His first-time shot smashed in off the bar, giving Crocombe no chance, and the U’s were spectacularly level.

Our Cam loves a knee slide (photo: Steve Daniels)

The second half started in a similar vein to the first, and it was all a bit frantic, with both teams looking to play the ball long, meaning players like Brannagan and BDK were getting bypassed too often. Just after the hour mark two things happened that swung the game in Millwall’s favour: they introduced lively midfielder Billy Mitchell, allowing them to get the ball down and play some decent football, and Jack Currie went off injured; this was a big blow as he had been having a fine game up to that point. Greg Leigh is an excellent replacement, but it would take him time to match Currie’s involvement.

And sure enough, Millwall took full advantage just a few minutes later, and it was another poor goal to concede. Vaulks conceded possession cheaply on the right touchline, Tristan Crama tried a speculative shot from outside the area that Jamie Cumming did well to push aside, but with the Oxford defence static, Jake Cooper had the simplest of tap-ins on his 400th appearance for the Lions.

Now, surely, United would crumble. And for a while it did look like Millwall were going to be the next team to score, with one driving run from deep ending with a shot that forced a decent save out of Cumming.

But this Oxford team are, if anything, resilient and as results have shown this season, they keep going to the final whistle. The referee signalled five minutes of stoppage time. In the second of these added minutes, Ryan Leonard had to be substituted after receiving a knock. In the added time at the end of added time, time added for Leonard’s treatment, United surged forward in another attempt to create something.

A Brannagan free kick (again) brought a good save from Crocombe (again) and Millwall scrambled the ball clear. However, this time it was recycled and the ball was eventually fed to substitute Siriki Dembélé. He swung a pass across the area to fellow substitute Przsemysłav Płacheta and his first-time shot was low, accurate, and out of Crocombe’s reach and United were level again. It felt like a winner and the crowd – at least those who were still in the stadium and hadn’t stupidly left early – celebrated appropriately.

Shemmy runs the wrong way in celebration (Photo: Steve Daniels)

Despite leaving it late, this was a deserved point. Despite conceding two poor goals, Oxford rallied each time and scored two excellent goals in reply. And both from open play – we don’t always need set pieces to score.

Coming back from apparent defeat like this is always a good pick-me-up for the rest of the weekend, and it will give the U’s encouragement going into yet another tough home game on Tuesday. Stoke City are – as Millwall were – in third place and are coming into the game on the back of thrashing Bristol City. However, Potters beware: this is a never-say-die Oxford team and they’re not going to go down without one hell of a fight.