Oxford's Brooks lesson

United beat fellow Third Division outfit Swansea City 3-1 at the Manor today to secure their second double of the season. Oxford took the lead in the 10th minute after Jamie Brooks showed his colleagues how to run at a defence. His shot came back off the inside of the post but Manny Omoyinmi was following up to sidefoot home. Swansea equalised through an excellent Jason Price volley in the 25th minute. In the second half Brooks again gave the home side the lead just after the hour before Matt Murphy headed home a Joey Beauchamp corner to complete the scoring two minutes later.

Apart from Brooks, who had replaced Sam Ricketts, the other changes from last weeks's game at Bristol Rovers were the replacement of Phil Gray by Manny Omoyinmi, Paul Powell came into defence instead of the injured Jon Richardson, and Dean Whitehead started in central midfield in place of Peter Fear. The only United substitution saw Andy Linighan replace Powell. The attendance was 4,148 and Humberside referee JP Robinson booked four Swansea and no Oxford players. A match report appears here.

Bristol Rovers went and lost 2-1 at Walsall and Cambridge also lost, 2-1 at home to Wigan. Unfortunately swindon somehow managed to win, beating Peterborough 2-1 at home. Colchester beat Reading 2-1 and Wycombe secured a point with a 1-1 draw at Bury. Brentford remain in (mathematical) danger following their 2-1 defeat at Rotherham.

This all leaves Rovers on 48 points with three games remaining, Cambridge on 49 with two games left, swindon on 52 but with just one game to play. Brentford, Wycombe and Colchester all have 55 points, just one from safety, Wycombe having two games left, the others three.

In Division Three Hartlepool have guaranteed themselves a play-off place, whilst Barnet have finally slipped to the bottom with just one game remaining. They are level on points with Halifax, who have three games left, two behind Torquay (one left) and Carlisle (two) and three points from Lincoln (three games to go). In the Conference both Rushden & Diamonds and Yeovil won 2-1, R&D at home to Dover and Yeovil at Telford.