Swansea City were denied a final-day victory in dramatic fashion as Przemyslaw Placheta’s stoppage-time strike earned Oxford United a 3-3 draw at the Swansea.com Stadium.
In an emotional afternoon that saw farewells for club stalwarts Joe Allen and Kyle Naughton, Jisung Eom gave the Swans the lead with a superb solo effort. Greg Leigh volleyed Oxford level before Ronald restored the home side’s advantage with a calm finish.
Michal Helik brought the visitors back level once more, only for substitute Liam Cullen to power home a header from Josh Tymon’s third assist of the game. But Placheta’s late equaliser – capitalising on a defensive lapse – ensured the spoils were shared.
The draw confirmed an 11th-place finish for Swansea, but the final day belonged to two of its finest servants, Joe Allen and Kyle Naughton, who brought down the curtain on distinguished Swansea careers.
Team Line-ups
Swansea City: Lawrence Vigouroux; Josh Key (Ollie Cooper 70), Ben Cabango, Hannes Delcroix, Josh Tymon; Joe Allen (captain) (Kyle Naughton 70), Gonçalo Franco, Lewis O’Brien; Ronald (Sam Parker 81), Jisung Eom (Ben Lloyd 88); Žan Vipotnik (Liam Cullen 70).
Unused Substitutes: Jon McLaughlin, Jay Fulton, Florian Bianchini, Cyrus Christie.
Oxford United: Matt Ingram, Cameron Brannagan (captain), Ole Romeny (Marselino Ferdinan 77), Ben Nelson, Alex Matos, Tyler Goodrham, Ruben Rodrigues (Mark Harris 66), Greg Leigh (Joe Bennett 77), Hidde ter Avest (Sam Long 88), Stan Mills (Przemyslaw Placheta 66), Michal Helik.
Unused Substitutes: James Cumming, Elliott Moore, Matty Phillips, Peter Kioso.
Referee: James Bell
Attendance: 19,672
Post-Match Reaction from Alan Sheehan
Alan Sheehan paid tribute to Joe Allen and Kyle Naughton after the long-serving duo received a standing ovation from the Jack Army in their final Swansea City appearances.
In an afternoon full of emotion and goals, the Swans and Oxford United played out a dramatic 3-3 draw at the Swansea.com Stadium, but the biggest moments came when Allen and Naughton said their goodbyes.
Allen captained the side on his 231st appearance for his boyhood club, while Naughton reached the milestone of 300 league games as he replaced the Wales international in the second half – a substitution that saw both men receive a heartfelt ovation.
“Sometimes some things are bigger than the result on the day, and it was important that Naughts and Joe get appreciated for the incredible people and players they are, and the careers they have had.
“The standing ovations was wonderful. They are two guys who prefer to do, rather than talk about it. They do not love the limelight, but I think it is important that they were recognised and it was a chance for the fans and the team to show their appreciation.
“It showed how loved and appreciated they are by everyone at the football club.”
“I liked a lot of our attacking play, but I didn’t like our defensive play,” he said.
“We have given them three goals, which is very much out of character for us and how we have played in these last few weeks.
“We had an incredible turn out by the fans, it was a party atmosphere, so it was a real shame to give them a goal in the 94th minute.”
Here is the full post-match interview:
Match Highlights
Watch extended highlights of the Swans draw with Oxford United at the Swansea.com stadium:
Feature Image Credit: Swansea City Football Club