Charlie Kelman’s added-time penalty earned Charlton a 1-1 draw at the Kassam Stadium, denying Oxford a fourth successive Championship win in their battle to beat the drop.
In the 3rd minute of extra time, after goalkeeper Jamie Cumming committed a foul on Lloyd Jones, who came to take a free kick, substitute Kellman blocked the spot kick.
Cameron Brannagan had earlier given Oxford the lead in the 57th minute. It was also from that spot that Oxford were awarded their first penalty in almost two years.
Kayne Ramsay tripped Will Lankshear and United captain Brannagan slotted a right-footed penalty into the bottom left corner just beyond Will Mannion’s dive.
Oxford had one enforced change, with Myles Peart-Harris left out after a 1-0 midweek win over Blackburn.
Charlton manager Nathan Jones continued his squad rotation and made five changes to the team that won at second-place Middlesbrough, and also changed the starting lineup, including the remaining winners, Conor Coady, Myles Leaven and Kelman.
Both teams were in good form and confident, with Charlton starting brightest. Greg Docherty had a low angled shot but Cumming made an easy save.
The Addicks had plenty of the ball in the first 20 minutes, but skilful play from Yunus Konak helped create chances for United, before Lankshear passed the ball to Aidomo Emakhu for Lloyd Jones to smartly intercept.
A surprise win at Middlesbrough gave Charlton 48 points and virtual safety, and there was freedom in the way they played in the first half.
However, Stan Mills was beginning to have an impact on the Oxford game. When he was brought down just outside the box, Jamie Donley curled the free-kick over the crossbar.
Moments later, from Mills’ dangerous cross from the right, Amari’i Bell cut a clearance just past his post and the angle of the bar.
Early in the second half, Ranksier nodded Brannaghan’s long diagonal cross before Michal Helic struck the ball over the bar.
Conor Coventry headed in a long-range ball for Charlton, but the home side began to attack with increasing frequency, and loud cheers erupted in the stadium when Lankshear was fouled by Ramsay in the box.
Lankshear almost added a second goal four minutes later when he tipped the ball past goalkeeper Mannion and saw Lloyd Jones come off his line again.
Matt Bloomfield’s men looked set to go for another vital three points, but the Addicks had other ideas and made Cumming pay for a late mistake.
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Oxford’s Matt Bloomfield:
“It feels like we lost two points because of the timing of the goal, of course we did.
“But we must all remember that we scored a positive score today against an extremely hardline opposition.
“But it feels very disappointing that because of the timing of the opposition goal we didn’t see it over the line.
“As a football club we have waited a long time to get a penalty of our own, Cameron Brannaghan saved it brilliantly and there was a feeling of really good energy on the ground in the second half. The irony was that they got a penalty.
“I thought we were a lot more where we wanted to be in the second half, but not in the first half. We had to be a lot more proactive.
“We scored a goal, got the momentum and had a couple of guys off the line. If we had scored a second goal it would have been over and it would have been in our favor.”
Charlton’s Nathan Jones:
“It was the worst decision of all, being at the mercy of the crowd and emotions at times and not being able to make clear decisions. And that was very disappointing for us. Having said that, I think we showed character, took the threat and probably had the best chance of winning in the end.
“If you look at the positive, we’ve got seven points from three games and if someone had offered me that this week at 3pm last Saturday I would have taken it.
“My players didn’t listen at half-time and their players did and we played into their hands. They sat back and wanted you to play slow tempo football and then they attacked you.”
“We told them to have a high line, turn them, get the ball back, make them defend, put the ball in the box and we’ll get joy. We did that in the last 15 minutes and we got joy. We didn’t do that in the first 75 minutes and that’s why we were 1-0 down and it was a bad decision.
“This is another point towards our goal and a really important point in that it allows both of us to keep our distance from each other.
“But overall I was very disappointed because if we had been successful we could have won that game.”
