JAMES Henry was thrilled to make a punishing day worthwhile with a goal that will live long in the memory.

The midfielder’s improvised stoppage-time finish gave Oxford United a 2-1 win at Sheffield Wednesday, sparking wild celebrations on the pitch and in the away end.

Henry travelled separately to the squad after being struck down with illness this week and only saw his Covid test come back negative yesterday morning.

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The 32-year-old started on the bench at Hillsborough, but played the last half an hour and produced the key moment of quality at the death.

He said: “I felt better running around, clearing it out.

“It’s just a common cold, but you have to be cautious with these things these days.

“I travelled up first thing in the morning waiting for the PCR (test) result. It was an early start, but definitely worth it.”

HIGHLIGHTS: Watch the goals here

It was top-scorer Henry’s fifth goal of the season and his 52nd for the club, putting him 12th outright in the all-time standings.

He said: “The ball came in, the defender slid across to block it and it hit my foot and came up.

“Then I just swivelled and hit it backwards. I just tried to move it towards goal and it was some feeling right in front of the fans.”

Henry added: “Every time I’ve played here, the second half always becomes difficult.

“The ball almost gets sucked in by their fans, but our fans kept going and they managed to suck one in for us.”

United’s build-up was thrown off course after two players tested positive, which also saw Mark Sykes miss out due to close contact.

Henry said: “There are many clubs who will have scenarios like that this season so we weren’t going to use it as an excuse, no matter the result.

“It’s just the world we live in at the moment.”

Karl Robinson: Oxford United were 'exceptional'

U’s head coach Karl Robinson added: “Jamo’s one of those players that you know can produce moments of magic on any given stage.

“We felt we should’ve taken a chance earlier than that.”