Aaron Ramsey was denied a winning start as Cardiff City's caretaker manager, as his side were plunged deeper into Championship relegation strife by Oxford United captain Cameron Brannagan's staggering long-range equaliser.
Appointed on Saturday following the sacking of Omer Riza, Wales captain Ramsey was given a hero's welcome as he instigated an instant improvement in performance.
Yousef Salech gave Cardiff a precious second-half lead as he held off two Oxford defenders and headed in superbly from Chris Willock's cross to prompt fervent celebrations among the home crowd.
But that jubilation turned to stunned silence when an Oxford free-kick was laid off to Brannagan and, from 35 yards out, the midfielder launched a missile of a strike which whistled into the top corner.
Equally damaging to Cardiff were results elsewhere, with all their other relegation rivals winning to leave them second from bottom of the table and three points from safety with only two games left.
For Oxford, whose only shot on target was Brannagan's goal, this draw takes them another step closer to safety, three points clear of the bottom three.
As the away fans chanted "We are staying up", there was an air of resignation about their counterparts, who have not seen their team in the third tier since 2003.
Ramsey's appointment had helped offset some of the toxicity around Cardiff, whose fans staged a pre-match protest calling for club owner Vincent Tan and the rest of the board to leave.
The ill-feeling has been brewing for years in the Welsh capital and, after two narrow escapes from relegation in the previous three campaigns, there has been a growing sense that this will be the season which proves a crisis too far for the Bluebirds.
As long as there is the mathematical chance of staying up, however, there is at least a semblance of belief.
Ramsey was given a rapturous welcome by supporters who call him one of their own, and who responded positively to an encouraging, purposeful start from their team.
Willock missed an excellent opportunity to score in the 11th minute but fired over the bar, while Salech had the ball in the net but the whistle had already gone after Cian Ashford's cross had drifted out of play.
Oxford's Przemyslaw Placheta was fortunate not to be sent off for a late, studs-up sliding tackle on Perry Ng. That challenge alone might have warranted a red card but only resulted in a yellow, which arguably should have been the former Swansea player's second following a cynical pull on Callum O'Dowda earlier in the game.
There was warm applause for Cardiff after their first 45 minutes under Ramsey, and the improved performance got its reward with Salech's goal 11 minutes into the second half.
His expertly taken header was met with a thunderous roar but, with results elsewhere going against the hosts, there was still some anxiety around Cardiff City Stadium.
That nervousness turned to pure dread when Brannagan unleashed his vicious, swerving strike past Ethan Horvath in the Cardiff goal.
Ramsey turned to his bench in an attempt to restore their lead but the Bluebirds were undone by the same lack of quality that has kept them in relegation trouble all season and looks destined to send them down to League One.
Cardiff City: Horvath, Ng, Fish, Chambers, O’Dowda, Rinomhota, Mannsverk (Turnbull 80’), Robertson (Colwill 75’), Willock (Alves 75’), Ashford (Méïté 70’), Salech (Tanner 80’). Subs not used: Turner, Goutas, Daland, Bagan.
Oxford United: Cumming, Vaulks, Placheta (Leigh 46’), Brannagan ©, Bennett (Moore 82’), Neslon, Matos (Rodrigues 69’), Goodrham, Kioso (Phillips 46’), Helik, Bradshaw (Harris 69’). Subs not used: Ingram, Romeny, El Mizouni, Mills.
