Middlesbrough 3 Oxford United 2: Cristhian Stuani's late strike wins rollercoaster FA Cup tie
Middlesbrough survived a stirring second-half comeback to take their place in the last eight of the FA Cup, as they were pushed all the way by an Oxford side who can consider themselves not to be in Sunday's sixth round draw.
While many of their Premier League counterparts shun the competition, Aitor Karanka's side are increasingly finding solace in the FA Cup. They continue to cut a swathe through EFL opponents, with Michael Appleton's team now the third lower division side to be dispatched at the Riverside in the space of five weeks to leave the Teesside club a victory away from sealing a return to Wembley.
That, however, barely scratches the surface of the drama to unfold as the visitors scored twice in the space of 60 seconds midway through the second half to draw level, and abruptly halt the Teessiders' serene progress, only for normal service to be resumed when with four minutes remaining Cristhian Stuani claimed the winner for the rattled hosts.
Such a scenario had appeared rather unlikely as Oxford looked favourites to procure a winner in the wake of Chris Maguire finding the top corner in the 64th minute with precisely struck free-kick after a foul on Phil Edwards, before Toni Martinez followed up to poke home the rebound after Brad Guzan saved Maguire's low angled drive.
Substitute Conor McAleny fired across the face of goal late on for the League One as a replay loomed, but Stuani's close range finish from Fabio's deep cross ensured a second meeting will not be required.
Having failed to emerge victorious from their last eight games in a winless run stretching for more than two months, the cup again provided welcome respite for the Premier League's lowest scorers, who have managed just three goals in the last 12 hours of top flight football, and showed six changes from the stalemate with Everton.
Oxford came agonisingly close to ensuring their league ills transferred to the knockout competition, but instead, they succumbed to only a third defeat in 11 games this year. As they acknowledged the tremendous backing of their 3,300 travelling supporters, they were instead left to contemplate a trip to Charlton on Tuesday, in their quest to seal what at this stage remains an unlikely place in the League One play-offs.
The contest swung decisively the way of the Premier League side in the space of two pivotal moments just after the half-hour, when Oxford thought they had cancelled out Grant Leadbitter's 26th minute penalty courtesy of Maguire's angled drive from 20 yards. Celebrations were short-lived, however, as referee Andre Marriner ruled the effort out due to Kane Hemmings' push on Bernardo.
Within two minutes, Middlesbrough had doubled their lead, Rudy Gestede scoring for the first time since a £6m move last month from Aston Villa with a fine scissor kick after Adama Traore's knockback from Fabio's cross found the Middlesbrough forward via a fortuitous ricochet off defender Curtis Nelson.
Leadbitter put the hosts ahead with an emphatic spot kick which nestled in the top corner after the ubiquitous Maguire's clumsy challenge on Stewart Downing, the midfielder who played an influential role in his side's victory, and would have earned a place on the scoresheet but for a fine low save from Oxford goalkeeper Simon Eastwood before the break.
Middlesbrough 2 - 0 Oxford United (Rudy Gestede, 34 min)
The visitors spurned their clearest early opening with barely a minute on the clock, Toni Martinez, the forward on loan from West Ham easily brushing-off Bernardo to run through on goal unimpeded before firing straight at Guzan.
A simple square pass would have provided his team-mate Kane Hemmings, who had scored in each of the previous four rounds, with an unguarded net into which to roll a fifth cup goal of a memorable run, one which looked set to continue given the events of that stunning 60 seconds just after the hour, which ultimately was unable to see the class of 2017 match feats of 53 years ago, when Oxford made it to the last eight.
