Changing the location of the 126th Varsity Football Match from Craven Cottage to Cambridge United's Abbey Stadium may have returned the teams to the home city of modern association football, but it was Oxford who left victorious as their Bahamian International Goalkeeper Dwayne Whylly saved miraculously from Mark Baxter's penalty in a foreseeable shoot out.

Springing horizontally to tip the penalty - destined for the top corner - onto the inside of the left hand post, Whylly's minor touch proved decisive in a game seldom blessed with creativity and stifled by major hype.

Ceremonious sporting occasions often promise impressive performances but both teams looked restrained from exuding their known quality throughout. As hundreds of Cambridge supporters arrived late to outnumber the mediocre support from Oxford they may have regretted missing one of Cambridge's betters chances in the game which saw centre-back Dan Gywnther striking over after 10 minutes.

Gywnther was one of few players who acclimatised to the jittery environment as the Cambridge midfield struggled to gain a purchase of the ball given Oxford's strong positional plan. Obstinate and compact, Oxford withstood increasing pressure from lofted passes into their box as anonymous midfielders Baxter and captain Michael Johnson looked to the sky in frustration.

Oxford's defensive intentions mirrored their attacking threat. Piling their 'big men' into the box at every possible opportunity resulted in tame headers bouncing wide. Despite their physical prowess, the Dark Blues were harmless and only a long throw proved troubling after it pinballed its way to the goal line before being scrambled away by right back Michael Johnson, later substituted on 25 minutes after sustaining an unfortunate injury. His replacement Chris Peacock wasted no time introducing himself to the final with enlivening ferocity.

Goalkeeper Stuart Ferguson was reduced to a kicking game but his clearance on the half hour was flicked on by striker Hylands for the rapid Matt Stock whose pace and trickery put Oxford left back Squires in a trance conceding a reckless penalty. Baxter made no mistake this time sliding it out of harm's reach.

The crowd were ecstatic for at least a minute as hesitant chants reflected the diffident performance. Only after Hollywood acrobatics from Whylly who palmed to safety an in-swinging corner and only after a comfortable save from Ferguson with his feet, could both teams rethink their approach for the second half which proved more eventful.

James Kelly, Oxford's technically gifted left midfielder, provided the outstanding moment with a twenty-five yard free kick flying beyond the helpless Ferguson into the bottom left hand corner in the 88th minute.

From open-play Oxford threatened to equalise throughout the half, de Walden looping a thirty yard effort over the bar replicating the landing place of his previous headed attempt. As Oxford loosened their stranglehold on the game in search of the leveller, it was clear that more space for Cambridge's impressive Matt Stock would follow.

With overdue passes to his feet and with time to turn, Stock threatened to put the game beyond Oxford setting up Paul Hartley to strike a long range effort into the gloves of Whylly and forcing an opportunity for James Day who headed wide.

The energised Stock stood out as, after seventy-five minutes, players dropped simultaneously to the ground to stretch tiring legs. Introducing Jamie Rutt and Danny Kerrigan to ease the strain, Cambridge tormented Oxford for a second goal. Kerrigan soon felt the brunt of two horrendous hacks from Oxford for which Premier League referee Lee Mason issued the only yellow card of the game but denied Cambridge another penalty for the first of the two challenges.

However, Mason somehow judged a wearisome push into the back of Oxford's striker, Alex Biggs, worthy of the free kick which Kelly dispatched emphatically. The quality of the goal was unmarred in comparison to the disfigured performance from both teams. Bettering Kelly's technique was even beyond Stock's set play ability as he dipped a free kick narrowly over the bar during extra time.

Ending the affair in live play was not to be as the final Oxford corner landed innocently, and symbolically, on the top of the Cambridge net. If Cambridge appeared the more deserving they were left lauding praise at the hands of the Oxford goalkeeper who produced the finest moment of creativity in the game to couple five faultless Oxford penalties.

Click here to see our video highlights from the game on VarsiTV.