Oli McBurnie’s stoppage-time goal earned Sergej Jakirovic a first win as new Hull manager following a breathless 3-2 victory at home to Oxford.
McBurnie, who joined the Tigers as a free agent two weeks ago, stabbed home Ryan Giles’ cross three minutes into added time to put the seal on what was a chaotic Championship game.
Bosnian Jakirovic, who replaced Ruben Selles in the summer, might have been forgiven for thinking this league was a cakewalk as Joe Gelhardt opened the scoring after two minutes.
But Oxford, as has become standard under Gary Rowett, rarely buckle under pressure and equalised seven minutes later through Spurs loan signing Will Lankshear.
Matt Crooks restored Hull’s advantage after 20 minutes before Cameron Brannagan equalised six minutes later during a relentless contest that was eclipsed by McBurnie’s late intervention.
Gelhardt’s early strike set the tone for an opening period in which defensive principles went out the window in favour of attacking verve.
The Leeds loan signing hared down the right wing before charging into the penalty box, from where three Oxford players gave him far too much space to whip the football into the bottom right corner.
Jamie Cumming was beaten at his near post, but Gelhardt had feigned to cross and hit the ball with such power and accuracy that it was difficult to blame Oxford’s goalkeeper.
Vibrant Hull would have doubled their advantage three minutes later had it not been for Greg Leigh, who brilliantly blocked Crooks’ goalbound effort from close range off John Lundstram’s defence-splitting pass.
With the hosts threatening to cut loose, Oxford unexpectedly drew level when Tyler Goodrham worked minor miracles to keep the ball in play at Hull’s far post.
Goodrham somehow stabbed the ball towards the centrally positioned Lankshear, who volleyed into the net past an unsighted Ivor Pandur.
Unfazed by that setback, Hull regained the initiative when Gelhardt, again unopposed, found McBurnie in a dangerous position inside the penalty area.
McBurnie passed first time to Crooks, whose late run into the six-yard box was matched only by his composed, low finish.
But Oxford remained a threat on the counterattack and equalised soon afterwards after through Brannagan, who seized upon defensive uncertainty from Will Vaulks’ long throw-in towards the back post.
Brannagan’s half-volley from the edge of the penalty area was well executed, but Pandur got two hands to the ball and should have done much better.
Pandur gained a degree of redemption after 61 minutes when he showed laudable dexterity to prevent Matt Phillips from making an immediate impact from the substitutes’ bench.
Gelhardt later tried his luck from a similar angle to which he opened the scoring, but Cumming was this time up the challenge.
The game rather tailed off inside the final half-hour as Oxford went deeper and Hull seemingly ran out of ideas.
That was until McBurnie dragged his side over the line with a cute finish into the bottom-left corner.
