James Constable’s 100th Oxford United goal helped to lift the Us back to the top of the table as a clinical performance swept aside 10-man Mansfield Town. United were given a scare when Lee Stevenson levelled Sean Rigg’s opener, but goals from Constable and Ryan Williams ensured a thoroughly deserved win for Chris Wilder’s side.

Injuries to Jake Wright, in addition to Alfie Potter’s extended lay-off, resulted in a change of shape and personnel for United. Michael Raynes was reunited with former Stockport and Rotherham team-mate Johnny Mullins at the heart of a back four, while Ryan Williams and Sean Rigg provided pace on the wings. Deane Smalley partnered Dave Kitson up front, with Constable waiting in the wings on the bench.

The visitors started the game well and Rigg set the tone for an afternoon of exhilarating wing-play as he left Lee Beevers trailing in the opening minutes. His cross failed to find a purple shirt, but it would not be the last time that United would find their way behind the Stags’ defence.

Mansfield are a physical side who provide a threat at set-pieces and this was evident as Stevenson forced Ryan Clarke into a fine reflex save from a corner.

The midfield battle was keenly contested, but United were able to get the ball into wide areas with encouraging frequency through the composed Danny Rose and it was the former Manchester United player who played a key role in the deadlock being broken. Williams collected David Hunt’s pass and rather than beating the two men in his path, clipped a ball through to Rose. The midfielder’s first touch took him away from John Dempster (where have we heard that before?!) and into the area. Alan Marriott got a hand to Rose’s left-footed effort, but couldn’t divert the ball away from the onrushing Rigg. The former Port Vale man had time to readjust and check the linesman was happy before stroking the ball into the empty net with his right foot. Despite having a nose bunged up with bloodied tissues after an earlier Mansfield challenge, Rigg had opened the scoring and his own account for the season.

United lost Andy Whing to injury shortly afterwards, but the goal advantage very soon became a man advantage when Jamie McGuire flew into a late tackle on former Fleetwood team-mate Rose in the Oxford half. Referee Charles Breakspear had the red card out within a flash and the home side’s task had become an awful lot harder.

Mansfield made the most of a half littered with free-kicks to put the ball into the Oxford box, but Mullins and Raynes were dealing with anything that was directed their way. Prolonged spells of Oxford pressure followed, but first Williams and then Mullins were unable to beat Marriott for a second time.

The second goal was feeling very necessary and Mansfield proved why in first half stoppage time. A free-kick was kept alive by Dempster in the United area and Raynes’ header fell perfectly for Stevenson to volley home from the edge of the box. It was a blow, but not one that would hold Oxford back for long.

Constable replaced Smalley, who had been struggling for the previous ten minutes, and it would be the 99-goal striker who would ensure that United went into the break ahead. Injuries to Whing, Smalley and a lengthy stoppage for a Dempster head injury meant that 8 minutes of stoppage time were indicated. United took full advantage of this as Asa Hall, who had replaced Whing, fed Kitson in the midfield. The former Reading man twisted one way, before playing a reverse ball inside the full-back for Williams to race onto. The Australian winger kept his calm and rolled the ball back for Constable to slot home off the post to bring up triple figures in an Oxford United shirt. A phenomenal achievement and one that the travelling United support celebrated loudly.

The goal had come at a vital time and United emerged from the break with a renewed sense of calm about them. Kitson was linking play brilliantly behind Constable, enabling Rigg and Williams to pose a threat throughout. The only thing denying Constable a second at the start of the second half was Marriott, who pulled off a fine flying save after the Oxford striker had twisted and turned before firing a shot towards the top corner of the Mansfield net.

The hosts weren’t out of the game by any means and they twice gave United a reminder of this with the score at 2-1. Jake Speight stung the palms of Clarke with a half-volley from a tight angle, before Sam Clucas failed to take advantage of a loose ball from Clarke’s punch.

This was Mansfield’s brightest period of the half, but it was ended in ruthless fashion by another lovely team goal by Oxford. Rose found Kitson in the hole that he had occupied with such effect throughout and the big striker (if it’s not an injustice to fail to refer to him as a playmaker nowadays) repeated the trick of slipping the ball between central defender and full-back for Rigg. Unlike in the opening exchanges, Rigg’s delivery was spot on and Williams burst into the six-yard box to divert the ball home.

Other than the blemish of conceding which was so quickly corrected, United had been intelligent in their dismissal of the ten men. They had used the space well and showed the quality necessary to kill the game. The final minutes of the game were spent with United having a competition among themselves to see how many passes they could string together in a row. By full-time, the record could well have stood at 30.

The final whistle eventually brought the afternoon’s entertainment to an end and United returned to the top of the pile thanks to results elsewhere. On to Gateshead in the cup (live on BT Sport for those who don’t mind shameless plugs…) and then to back-to-back home games in the league. Please let those be as much fun as this was…