Paul Sturrock replaced unhappy first choice stopper Paul Smith who stormed down the tunnel, but rookie Bentley repaid his manager's faith by saving winger Alfie Potter's spot kick.
Fellow substitute Elliot Benyon then sealed the win by burying the Shrimps fifth penalty.
Sean Rigg grabbed a last gasp Oxford equaliser.
Rigg headed in Tony Capaldi's 89th minute corner, but must have been as shocked as everyone else when Southend manager Paul Sturrock pulled Smith off in the 93rd minute.
Barry Corr curled in a 59th minute goal for his seventh of the campaign and looked to have sealed the tie.
Corr opened the scoring in the sixth minute when he out jumped the defence to head Kevan Hurst's free kick from eight yards.
Less than eight minutes later rookie hit man Tyronne Marsh, 19, levelled by nodding in his first senior goal in his second start from six yards.
Striker Tom Craddock notched up his twelfth goal of the season in the 32nd minute when he raced on to Simon Heslop's superb fifty yard pinpoint pass to lob stopper Paul Smith.
But full back Sean Clohessy pulled the Shrimps back into the game by curling in his second of the season in the 54th minute.
Sturrock was a relieved man and explained:
"In one of the rounds before he saved three penalties and so I had it in my mind to bring him in. Paul isn't happy at the moment and maybe I should have marked his card, but we won the game. He's a big boy and will get over it.
If Daniel hadn't saved it some people would have pointed the finger at me, but it all worked out."
Bentley admitted:
"I was as surprised as anyone, but credit also goes to Paul as he kept us in the game.
I haven't seen anything like it before, but if I'm called upon I'm always ready and I'm really pleased I saved the penalty."
Oxford assistant boss Mickey Lewis said:
"It was a really good game against one of the best teams in our league, but I felt we weren't good enough on the break.
I think the lads deserved the draw after 90 minutes though."
"In one of the rounds before he saved three penalties and so I had it in my mind to bring him in. Paul isn't happy at the moment and maybe I should have marked his card, but we won the game. He's a big boy and will get over it.
If Daniel hadn't saved it some people would have pointed the finger at me, but it all worked out."
Bentley admitted:
"I was as surprised as anyone, but credit also goes to Paul as he kept us in the game.
I haven't seen anything like it before, but if I'm called upon I'm always ready and I'm really pleased I saved the penalty."
Oxford assistant boss Mickey Lewis said:
"It was a really good game against one of the best teams in our league, but I felt we weren't good enough on the break.
I think the lads deserved the draw after 90 minutes though."
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