Roofe – who is said to be the subject of interest from Newcastle United – then curled home four minutes after the restart and gave Oxford a 3-1 lead by netting at the end of a rapid counter-attack 10 minutes later.
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Swansea manager Alan Curtis: “We made changes and there was a certain amount of rustiness but I am disappointed”. It doesn’t bother me who we get.
‘I heard the crowd sing his name a few times during the game so I do not know what the reaction was. “It’s down to giving the young players the opportunity”.
The 23-year old Englishman has recently been linked with a move to a number of Premier League and Championship sides in this window, including Steve McClaren’s Newcastle United and promotion hotshots Hull City.
The U’s will be ball 16 in the draw, which will be made on the One Show from 7.15pm.
Roofe joined Oxford on a permanent deal last summer from West Brom after a successful loan spell with the Us last term.
“But we’ve spoken to the players and we can’t dwell on it now”. The win will help some of pressure on the title hungry Chelsea, and ahead of the crucial league game against Sunderland on Wednesday. Kemar’s yellow shirt, still dripping with sweat, was ripped on the shoulder as he spoke after his man-of-the-match display.
“His performance was a bit like the team”, the manager explained, as “he started poorly and got better”. It’s not one of my designs.
“We re probably used to more possession in the league and obviously we came up against a well-known passing team, but we matched them and got in their faces”.
But with half-time approaching Oxford were gifted a way back into the game by stand-in Swans skipper Kyle Bartley.
After Roofe’s double strike, Swansea mounted a belated fightback and Bafetimbis Gomis scored neatly after 66 minutes.
Goal scorer Costa and team-mate Oscar nearly came to blows before being separated by their fellow players after an aggressive knee-high tackle on the Spain striker by his Brazilian colleague sparking a furious exchange during a training session this week.
Roofe, who signed for them from West Bromwich Albion in the close season after a successful loan period, felt the triumph was down to his team’s efforts rather than any lack of application by Swansea.
United boss Michael Appleton vowed not to change his side’s passing style – despite taking on one of the Premier League’s pass masters – and at times it was hard to tell which side was 54 league places above the other.
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“I think he’s frustrated with his own performances as much as we are as coaches, and I’m sure supporters as well”.
