Oxford United 2 Shrewsbury Town 1

On an unforgettable and drama-packed night, Murphy equalised in the final minute of regular time and then almost unbelievably struck again less than three minutes from the end of extra-time when the torture of penalties was the least Town deserved. 

It was agony for a Shrewsbury side who had taken a deserved 27th minute lead and once again made a mockery of the formbook with an inspirational effort that saw Oxford ripped apart at times.

And after some heroic resistance in the closing minutes, even luck seemed to be on Town's side when a Murphy header hit the post in the 87th minute to keep the lead intact.

Even after Murphy's heart-stopping equaliser, Town somehow found another gear to once again put Oxford on the rack for long spells of extra-time.

But Murphy, the man who spearheaded Oxford's comeback in the first meeting, did it again.

Town must be sick of him.

A host of Oxford pundits queued up afterwards to sympathise with a Shrewsbury side they felt had suffered an injustice.

More performances like this and the confidence and respect will keep coming back to Town.

But consolation was hard to find afterwards.

Without the unavailable John Gayle and Dean Spink up front, a fair few wondered where the height - or goals - might have come from.

Instead, Town looked threatening virtually every time they surged forward.

And there was no shortage of attacks in a game packed full of action in the best cup-tie traditions.

For so long it looked like Steve Jagielka, the second-smallest man on the pitch, would be the giant-killer after his strike - his first of the season and only the third of his senior career.

It followed good hold-up play by Lee Steele on the edge of the box, before Mickey Brown's deep cross found Jagielka unmarked at the far post. 

The little man made no mistake by powering his header back into the far corner of the net, with Oxford 'keeper Paul Lundin nowhere.

It was no less than Town deserved after their fine start and would undoubtedly have sewn more than a few seeds of doubt among the Oxford fans and perhaps their players.

Karl Murray's shot bounced off Lundin's knees and while Murphy headed inches wide before forcing a great block from Edwards, Town looked terrific value for their lead.

The breathless action resumed within a minute of the second half when Jagielka's cross came suspiciously close to the hand of Steve Davis - hidden from the referee' sightline - inside the penalty area.

But Town had a scare on 65 minutes when David Hughes' interception in front of Anthrobus spun back towards Edwards, whose save plus an offside whistle prevented what had momentarily looked like an own goal.

Steve Anthrobus then had a penalty shout rejected when tumbling under Andrew Tretton's desperate clearance after the defender had initially underpowered his back header.

And after Paul Powell's cross whizzed unchallenged across a gaping goalmouth, Derek Lilley dragged a great 18-yard effort wide as Oxford finally began to mount some late pressure.

But the hosts' hopes looked buried when, on 81 minutes, Wilding's clever cross-field pass put Jagielka seemingly in the clear.

A quick trap followed by a 10-yard rocket looked the answer but Jagielka's first touch betrayed him and the ball ran back out wide.

It still looked over when Murphy headed Jamie Lambert's cross off the foot of the post as both sides' anxiety mounted.

But with the injury time board about to be displayed the otherwise well-shackled Joey Beauchamp pumped a last-gasp free-kick into the area where Murphy, on the turn, helped it past Edwards to shatter the ready-to-party Shrewsbury fans right behind the goal.

But that was far from the end of Town's challenge as they picked themselves - literally - off the floor for extra-time.

Once again, they tore into the hosts, with Brown heading into Lundin's arms and substitute Luke Rodgers' cross being scrambled clear by Jamie Cook before Wilding could pounce.

Then in the 104th minute, Kevin Jobling burst through the middle before unleashing a 20-yard piledriver that Lundin was happy to palm away.

Brown and Rogers continued to keep the Oxford defence backpedalling in the second period but with penalties looming, Lambert's late cross was nodded down by Town old boy Steve Anthrobus, and Murphy was first to pounce to stab home from close range.

Suddenly, it was all over.

Oxford's players shuffled off, almost embarrassed to take the plaudits.

They were too exhausted - and relieved - to celebrate.