THE ghost of Christmas past helped Oxford United haunt Cardiff City in a Boxing Day cracker as the Gary Rowett era began with three points for the U’s.
Swansea-born Mark Harris opened the scoring from close range against his former club with four minutes to go until the break, before two goals in four minutes put United out of sight at Grenoble Road.
Former Bluebirds defender Ciaron Brown headed in from a corner eight minutes into the second half, before ex-Swansea City winger Przemyslaw Placheta struck an absolute beauty from outside the penalty box for the U’s.
Cian Ashford pulled one back for the Bluebirds with eight minutes to go though, before Callum Robinson smashed in deep into stoppage time.
It was Rowett’s first game as head coach, after he watched from the Elland Road stands for the 4-0 defeat against Leeds United.
He made two changes to the side which lost at Leeds, as Sam Long and Ruben Rodrigues came in for Peter Kioso and Owen Dale.
There was a change in shape, with United lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation as opposed to the 4-3-3 system which Des Buckingham preferred.
Rowett was able to call upon Louie Sibley and Siriki Dembele, returning from ankle injuries, on the bench alongside Matt Phillips.
The aforementioned Dale, plus Kyle Edwards and Will Goodwin, were the three U’s players who dropped out of the matchday squad.
In the opening stages of the first half, United certainly seemed happy to play a little bit more direct, whether by knocking balls over the top or down the channels at an early opportunity.
When the U’s didn’t have possession though, the team dropped back into a deeper block, keeping a stronger defensive shape for the Bluebirds to break down.
The first real sight of goal came just before quarter of an hour had been played, as Chris Willock cut onto his right foot from 25 yards out and saw a deflected strike hit the crossbar.
Ten minutes before the break, a good flick from Tyler Goodrham found Harris 20 yards from goal, but his effort was sliced wide and drifted out for a throw-in.
Rubin Colwill then found former United wide man Callum O’Dowda at the back post, but the header was sent across goal and off target.
Two minutes later, Harris nudged the U’s into the lead after good work from Will Vaulks to find Placheta down the right-hand side, and he then crossed for Harris, who was left with the simple task of tapping home from close range.
In first half stoppage time, Placheta was freed down the right by Will Vaulks, before drifting infield and passing to Harris, who teed up Cameron Brannagan for a 30-yard strike which flew off target.
The second half was barely a minute old when Brown crashed a near post header off target from a right-wing Vaulks cross, while good play then led to another chance for United.
Long slid a pass down the channel for Rodrigues, who arrowed a strike across goal and narrowly wide of the far post.
Moments later, the U’s doubled their lead as Brown smashed in a header from an outswinging Goodrham corner, and United then found themselves three up courtesy of a Placheta stunner.
The former Swansea winger stepped into space from the right-hand side and let fly a belting 30-yard strike which flew into the top left corner of Jak Alnwick’s goal.
United were in the mood and the confidence was clearly flowing throughout the team, that embodied by a low 25-yard strike which Harris directed narrowly wide.
Rowett made his first alterations with quarter of an to go, as Dembele and Phillips replaced Placheta and Rodrigues respectively, and the U’s still had the hunger to add more goals.
But it was the Bluebirds who pulled one back with eight minutes left on the clock, as substitute Ashford was afforded too much time in the box and found the net.
United then needed a bit of excellent awareness from Jamie Cumming, who charged out of his goal to sweep up from Anwar El Ghazi, who had broken the offside trap and was in down the left.
Four minutes were added on, and Robinson took advantage of a spot of pinball in the box by smashing home deep into the additional time, but it was too late as the U’s claimed a crucial three points.
Oxford United (4-2-3-1): Cumming; Long, Moore, Brown, Leigh; Vaulks, Brannagan; Placheta (Dembele 75), Rodrigues (Phillips 75), Goodrham (Sibley 89); Harris.
Unused subs: Ingram, Kioso, ter Avest, McEachran, El Mizouni, Scarlett.
Booked: Dembele.
Cardiff City (3-4-3): Alnwick; Chambers, Goutas, Bagan; Rinomhota, Siopis (Kpakio 59), Robertson, O’Dowda (El Ghazi 68); Colwill, Meite (Ashford 68), Willock (Robinson 46).
Unused subs: Horvath, Fish, Daland, Kanga, Davies.
Booked: Robertson.
Referee: Gavin Ward (Surrey)
Attendance: 11,494 (1,487 visitors)