United stormed to the top of Division Three for the first time since relegation two seasons ago, thanks to a devastating burst of goals in the last five minutes of today’s game against former league leaders Swansea. With the game seemingly drifting towards a goalless draw, the two sides pretty much cancelling each other out, a burst of pace from substitute Dean Whitehead forced Kristian O’Leary to bring him down in the corner of the penalty area. Up stepped skipper Andy Crosby to blast home the spot kick. This was the signal for the visitors to fall apart and within two minutes Whitehead and Steve Basham combined to allow Julian Alsop in to score his first goal for United. Two minutes later and Mark Rawle took advantage of a mix-up in the Swans’ defence to put United three up with his first touch of the ball in an Oxford shirt. Great stuff!

Ian Atkins reverted to the same line-up that beat Hull, with Danny Brown coming into the midfield in place of James Hunt. Hunt came on for Brown after 63 minutes, a move assumed by the Oxford fans to mean that Atkins was settling for the point. However it was the introduction of Whitehead for Derek Townsley nine minutes later that turned the game. Rawle replaced Basham approximately 17 seconds before he scored his debut goal.

Referee M Atkinson, in his first season as a League official, showed Matt Robinson a yellow card for a foul in injury time. The attendance was 6,725. A match report will appear later.

These three points see United leap-frog Swansea, who are now second, and take over at the top of the league. York City are at home to Southend tomorrow. Doncaster are fourth after their 1-1 home draw with Huddersfield. Bristol Rovers were 2-0 down to Macclesfield at the Memorial Stadium but Rob Quinn scored the goal to give the Gas a point and leave them in fifth. Hull move up to sixth after winning 2-0 at Cambridge, and the final play-off place is currently occupied by Torquay, who lost 3-1 at home to Rochdale.

Carlisle are bottom, the only team without a point after their 1-0 defeat at Boston. while last season’s play-off finalists Lincoln only have one point, losing 2-1 at Bury today. Darlington moved off the bottom thanks to their 2-1 win over Orient. Yeovil lost 2-0 at home to Northampton and United’s opponents next Saturday, Kidderminster Harriers, lost 2-1 at Cheltenham. Tomorrow’s other game is Mansfield v Scunthorpe.

In the Conference Jefferson Louis scored the only goal of the game as Woking beat Exeter City, and Sam Ricketts was on target for the second game running, scoring the winner in Telford’s 2-1 win over Morecambe. In Division Two Hartlepool’s 2-0 win over Brian Horton’s Port Vale was sealed with a Marco Gabbiadini penalty.