JAMIE Cumming said instinct kicked in when he made a wonder save to deny Peterborough United in the dying minutes of Oxford United’s play-off semi-final victory.

The U’s won 2-1 on aggregate against the Posh, and with the second leg of the semi-final in stoppage time, Chelsea loanee Cumming produced a fantastic stop to thwart a Josh Knight header.

The 24-year-old sprung across his goal and pushed the ball away to safety, when it looked almost certain like Knight had forced extra time.

Cumming said: “I’m just buzzing. It’s some moment and the lads deserve it.

“You don’t really think about it, so I can’t really say. I tried to work my feet across the goal as much as possible.

“It’s just one of those moments that went my way. I’m delighted.”

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United led 1-0 from the first leg, and it was Knight who levelled the tie on aggregate four minutes before half-time in the second leg.

Cameron Brannagan restored the U’s advantage with a penalty in first half injury time though, which led to a second period in which United had to stand strong defensively amid increasing Posh pressure.

Cumming said: “We were always going to be here and be under the cosh. We could’ve dealt with it better at times. We let them put balls in the box, but to defend the box like we did, we showed real desire and we’ve earned our spot at Wembley.

“There were so many blocks, and I think it shows the togetherness we have. Everyone’s delighted.

“I’ve missed out on the past in going to Wembley, so it’ll be my first time there.

“It’s been an up and down season, but we’ve made it, and anything can happen on the day. We’re just looking forward to it now.

“It’s been really up and down. There have been some great moments and some tough moments, but to finally get there, I feel like this group has got something special going, so we’ll see what happens on the day.

“You earn your luck. The lads in front of me were brilliant. In football, you earn your luck, and tonight was our night.”

Oxford Mail:

Cumming was the centre of attention at London Road with just over quarter of an hour to go, when he hit the deck and received treatment from the U’s medical team.

The break in play allowed both sides to take on drinks and instructions before the game resumed.

It also frustrated the home crowd and disrupted the Peterborough rhythm at an important time in the match.

Cumming said: “It’s one of them things you have to do sometimes. They’d have done the same thing in our situation to try and kill the game a bit. It’s just one of them things in football that you have to do.”