Article body analysed
Football
Swansea City
vs Oxford United. Sky Bet Championship.
12: 30pm, Saturday 3rd May 2025.
Swansea. com Stadium Attendance: Attendance19, 672.
Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Swansea City and Oxford United at the Swansea. com Stadium on Saturday; Joe Allen brings curtain down on his fantastic career Saturday 3 May 2025 16: 20, UK Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Joe Allen brought the curtain down on his distinguished career as Swansea and Oxford ended their Championship campaigns with an entertaining 3-3 draw. With no play-off or relegation issues at stake and only pride to play for, Swansea led three times through Eom Ji-sung, Ronald and Liam Cullen. But Oxford responded on each occasion, first through defenders Greg Leigh and Michal Helik and then former Swans forward Przemyslaw Placheta in the third minute of stoppage time. Swansea finish 11th after a strong finish under Alan Sheehan while Oxford - one place off the bottom when Gary Rowett was appointed in December - end 17th, four points above the relegation zone. Allen announced his retirement on Friday, 18 years since making his Swansea league debut and having made nearly 600 club appearances in the meantime. The 77-times capped Wales midfielder played for Liverpool and Stoke between two Swansea spells and was given the armband for his final match. Allen played his part in Swansea's opening goal and received a rapturous reception upon being substituted after 70 minutes.
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Kyle Naughton replaced Allen as the defender also made his final Swansea appearance - his 300th in the league - after joining from Tottenham a decade ago. Sheehan was in charge of Swansea in a permanent capacity for the first time, his successful spell as interim manager having secured Championship safety with seven wins in 12 games. Ben Cabango saw his third-minute header blocked on the goal-line, with some home appeals that Leigh had moved his hand to the ball to do so. Lawrence Vigouroux's legs prevented Ruben Rodrigues profiting but Swansea continued to press and fashion chances. Allen's clever switch of play released Josh Tymon for the left-back to feed Eom. The South Korean cut inside on his right foot to curl the ball into the top corner from just inside the area, his third goal in 11 games having not scored in his first 29 Swansea appearances. Oxford levelled with a superb strike of their own five minutes before the break. Tyler Goodrham's free-kick looped into the air off Cabango and was met by Leigh's laser-like volley. Oxford were almost in front on half-time as Stan Mills rattled the post from a ball over the top with no offside flag forthcoming. Swansea regained the lead after 57 minutes when the unmarked Ronald lashed home Tymon's cross at the far post. Oxford levelled again five minutes later as Mills won the first contact from a corner and Leigh's header allowed Helik to tap home from close range. Cullen, Swansea's top scorer, came off the bench to dispatch a diving header from another inviting Tymon centre, but Placheta capitalised on a Lewis O'Brien mistake to score against his former club and earn Oxford a deserved share of the spoils. Swansea's Alan Sheehan: "A top-half finish is incredible progression in a certain amount of time. "Sometimes when we get that momentum, we want more. It gives us a taste of what winning is like consistently. "When you go ahead three times, you are waiting for us to kick on. I really enjoyed a lot of our attacking play and we scored three really good goals. "But I didn't like us defensively at all, which is out of character for us. " Oxford's Gary Rowett: "We knew when we came in it was going to be a big task to keep the team in the division. "But we've shown an incredible spirit and today was no different. We went behind three times and we responded. "Form-wise over the last 25 games we've been a top-10 team, and that's quite amazing really considering where they were. "We're hoping to kick on and strengthen further and hopefully our trajectory is up. "It's not going to be a straight line quickly, but we have the opportunity to be stronger again next year. " The £250, 000 is up for grabs with Super 6, and as always it is completely free to play. Entries by 3pm Saturday.
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