JOSH Ruffels savoured the limelight after scoring from 30 yards to become Oxford United’s late match-winner against Doncaster Rovers.

The midfielder’s effort came with virtually the last kick of a hard-fought game which looked destined to be heading for a goalless draw at the Kassam Stadium.

Clocked at 96 minutes, it was United’s latest goal, excluding extra time, for 248 games – since Johnny Mullins scored against Wycombe Wanderers in August 2013.

Ruffels had joked before the game that with most of his contributions going under the radar, scoring was the only way to get noticed.

“It’s all a bit of a blur,” he said. “I could’ve had a couple of shots earlier and I didn’t.

“I’d been playing a bit more defensively, but (Alex) Mowatt came inside and I thought ‘why not?’ “Thankfully it took a few bobbles and crept in. It was a great feeling.

“I was just going mad to be honest. I did the knee slide and all the lads were bundling in. It will be nice to watch it back.”

It was not a strike where Ruffels, who had never scored a winner before, knew it was in from the moment it left his boot.

He said: “No, I was checking all the way.

“I think it was the accuracy of it which did the keeper.

“I thought he was going to get a fingertip to it, but it is probably the best goal I’ve scored.

“It was such an important game for our confidence, so it’s a really nice feeling.”

The first player to reach Ruffels’s celebration was Jack Payne, who will have been the most relieved man in the Kassam Stadium.

It got the Huddersfield Town loanee off the hook after his 79th-minute penalty was saved by Ian Lawlor.

Ruffels said: “Jack said ‘I owe you a few a drinks after that’.

“It’s something we need to work on with penalties, but I’m glad I saved him a bit.”