KARL Robinson could not hide his delight as Jamie Mackie’s injury-time winner earned Oxford United a crucial 1-0 victory at home to fellow strugglers Bradford City in controversial circumstances.

The striker came off the bench to score a 94th-minute winner at the Kassam Stadium, lifting the U’s out of the Sky Bet League One relegation zone.

But Bradford were adamant Mackie’s strike should have been ruled out, leading to both sides surrounding the officials in a chaotic finish.

United could have easily tasted defeat as Lewis O’Brien missed a sitter from five yards just moments earlier and the home side took a quick goal-kick to go down the other end and grab their dramatic winner.

As United finished celebrating, confusion set in as referee Andy Davies raced over to one of his assistants.

Bradford argued a number of cases, including that a goal-kick had been taken illegally as there were players inside the area at the time.

But after four minutes of waiting, the referee allowed United’s goal to stand.

U’s boss Robinson said: “There were three different scenarios.

“One was a penalty to Bradford, two, the ball was moving when we took it, and, three, there were four players in the box when the goalkeeper took the goal-kick.

“I’ve never heard that rule, so that’s another rule we’ve all learnt.

“But we got the three points and that’s all that matters.

“If I was in the other dugout I would be bitterly disappointed and I would feel very aggrieved and down, but I’m not and I’m extremely happy.”

Also read: Mackie hits late-winner as U's beat Bradford

Substitute Mackie proved to be the match-winner with a fine finish after Gavin Whyte's shot had been blocked, but the three points were all that mattered to the striker.

He said: "If it had been a tap-in from whoever, the quality of the goal is irrelevant, we needed three points.

“All the emotion was about the fact we scored and I thought the lads deserved to win."