Port Vale boss Andy Crosby saluted the character of his team, and Alfie Devine’s coolness under pressure, after his team regrouped to snatch a winner deep into stoppage time in a dramatic 2-1 success at nine-man Oxford.
Alex Iacovitti’s 63rd-minute goal for Vale was cancelled out by Greg Leigh’s equaliser three minutes into time added on at the end.
That looked to be how the game would finish, with Oxford undoubtedly the happier with the result having had both Mark Harris and then Leigh sent off moments after his goal for a second yellow card.
However, in the game’s dying seconds, eight minutes into stoppage time, Fin Stevens fouled Ben Garrity and Devine stepped up to calmly convert the penalty to earn Vale a memorable victory.
Crosby said: “All credit to the players, it was a great response in the second half.
“In the first half we allowed a really good team to dominate the ball and couldn’t get out of that block.
“The sending-off of Harris allowed us to get a control of the game. We got ourselves in front from a set play, which we had spoken about pre-game, because we had looked to see if we could identify potential weaknesses they might have. We’re disappointed we couldn’t hold on to that.
“Their threat was mainly in transition and we knocked off a bit in the box, and then the game is looking like we have maybe lost two points.
“But then we find a great pass in the final third, Ben (Garrity) takes a lovely touch too when facing their goalie and gets brought down – and I’m thinking all three of our penalty takers have come off the pitch!
“I’m looking around and thinking ‘make a decision quick’ – and all credit to Alfie, to take that penalty in that pressurised situation says a lot about him and epitomises everything about my group.”
Oxford head coach Liam Manning admitted it was a difficult result to take, saying: “There’s huge frustration from my point of view.
“All credit to Port Vale for the win, but to me it was that we lost it.
“We have spoken a lot about behaviour and discipline and really that went out the window in the second half.
“I’ve seen the video of the Mark Harris incident and it does appear to be an elbow, so I’ve got no complaints about that. The ref’s performance, to my mind, contributed to all that.
“We showed spirit and intensity to get back into the game – you can’t then have another mad moment as we did.
“Let’s be honest, we don’t often train with nine men. It was an emotional afternoon for everyone.
“I was pleased with elements of the first half, when I thought we were in control, but in the second half we started too slowly.
“I’ve spoken with Mark (Harris) – we shouldn’t be giving the officials the opportunity to make those decisions. We shifted the momentum away from us with those sendings-off.
“Yes, you don’t want something like that, but it did happen and it’s then a question of how you respond. The main thing is that we stay focused.
“But let’s remember, we have had a terrific run of results and the biggest thing for me is remembering just how far we have come.”
Chicago Fire 1-4 Inter Miami: Suarez on target once more in road win
Luis Suarez scored two and orchestrated another as Inter Miami cruised to a 4-1 win over Chicago Fire at Soldier Field on Saturday.
His shot led to the opening own goal before his second-half double put the game out of reach as Miami stretched their lead at the top of the Eastern Conference to nine points.
Suarez played a neat one-two with Diego Gomez to set up a strike from the edge of the box, and though Chris Brady did well to save it, he pushed it straight against Tobias Salquist, who chested it over the line 25 minutes in.
The Uruguayan thumped a free header against the bar minutes later, but finally got his reward just after the break – he raced in behind before slotting a neat shot in at the near post.
Alba then picked him out for his second in the 65th minute, fizzing a low cross into the six-yard box for him to guide past Brady.
Gomez was unlucky from distance as his drilled shot hit the inside of the post before Georgios Koutsias' instinctive close-range finish beat Drake Callender.
Substitute Robert Taylor then rounded off the scoring with a lovely first-time finish in stoppage time.
Data Debrief: Suarez continues to step up in Messi's absence
Miami have now been without their talisman Lionel Messi for three months due to the Copa America and an ankle injury, but Suarez has proven once again that they still pose a threat without him.
He has scored four times from a total of 12 shots since MLS resumed, with nine of those coming in this game.
The 37-year-old ran the show, leading the team in expected goals (1.4), shots on target (five), touches in the box (eight) and big chances (four).
Fonseca shrugs off talk of rift with Milan duo
Paulo Fonseca was quick to dismiss talk of any tension with Rafael Leao and Theo Hernandez, who both appeared to snub him shortly after coming off the bench.
The pair came off the bench to help earn a 2-2 draw with Lazio on Saturday, being brought on in a quadruple change by Fonseca after being left out of the starting line-up.
Milan were losing 2-1 at the time of their introduction, and they immediately turned things around, with Hernandez and debutant Tammy Abraham, another substitute, involved in Leao's equaliser.
Minutes later, the game stopped for a cooling break, with both managers using the opportunity to instruct their players, but both Leao and Hernandez remained on the far side of the pitch, taking no part in the team talk.
"The situation with Theo and Leao, there is no problem and I think Theo has already explained," Fonseca told DAZN.
"We don't need to create any problems. This week I spoke with the players and they accepted my decision. There is no problem, I was concentrated, and I didn't see that they weren't there."
Hernandez had already given his reasons immediately after the game.
"We had been on for two minutes, we didn't need the cooling break," Hernandez said.
"It was nothing against the team and the coach. Then people talk, say things that aren't true. Rafa and I are always with the team to help, and that is the important thing."
Milan are still without a league win this season after three games, but Fonseca says he saw a decent performance in the opening half, giving him something to work on.
"We had a good first half. We always managed the game well with the ball. When you control the game like this, we have to have more moments to become dangerous, but it's something we have to work on," Fonseca told Milan TV.
"We must always have the courage we had in the first half because we did good things. If we had won the other two games, this could have been a good result, but it is not so. But we have to start from today's first half."
Brentford 3-1 Southampton: Bees begin life after Toney with comfortable win
Brentford began life without Ivan Toney with a comfortable 3-1 victory over Southampton.
Bryan Mbeumo’s brace and a Yoane Wissa goal proved to be the difference between the two sides and condemned the Saints to their third straight loss since promotion back to the Premier League.
With departed striker Toney watching in the stands after his move to Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia, the hosts proved too strong for Russell Martin’s men. They created the superior chances and capitalised on an error-strewn performance from Southampton’s backline.
Mbeumo opened the scoring on the stroke of half-time before doubling the lead halfway through the second period and Wissa then got on the scoresheet moments later to continue Brentford’s strong start to the campaign. Yukinari Sugawara bagged a consolation in injury time for the Saints.
Brentford sit in fifth place ahead of the first international break, while Southampton are second-bottom of the league table with zero points.
Data debrief: Wissa continues to prove effective at home
Wissa now has five goals and two assists in his last seven matches at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Brentford have recorded consecutive home league wins for the first time since last November, and the first time in their opening home games since August 2018.
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