George Dugdale

United enhanced their promotion credentials after coming from behind for the first time this season to beat a determined Barnet side. Michael Hector's effort had made life difficult for the home side, but goals from strikers Scott Rendell and James Constable, combined with another Ryan Clarke penalty save, gave Chris Wilder's side another three points.

The Oxford manager had shuffled the pack after Saturday's draining draw at Bristol Rovers, bringing wingers Lee Holmes and Oli Johnson in for Mehdi Kerrouche and Mark Wilson, allowing a shift to a 4-4-2 system.

The opening exchanges were a scrappy affair as Peter Leven and Andy Whing battled for midfield supremacy with Mark Hughes and Clovis Kamdjo, a man who seems to play in a different position every time he faces Oxford. However, in the 16th minute the visitors broke the deadlock.

Izale McLoed sold a dummy to Jake Wright to win a free-kick, before a pull-back was drilled goalwards by Barnet defender Hector. The ball bobbled through the crowd in the penalty area before rolling slowly past the flat-footed Clarke in the United goal. If United were to get the win that their promotion efforts demanded, they were going to have to do it from behind for the first time this season.

United hadn't really got going early on, but began to pose a threat as the half wore on. Johnson was twice denied by Bees goalkeeper Dean Brill when cutting in from the left wing, before the former Norwich man hit a square ball frustratingly beyond the onrushing Constable with the goal gaping. United's leading scorer managed to pull the ball back, but Scott Rendell's slight hesitation was enough to allow a Barnet defender to block his effort.

Rendell wouldn't be denied for long. Peter Leven showed the vision and technical ability that Us fans have become accustomed to this season to release Holmes on the left, before the Southampton winger lofted a right-footed cross to the back post. Rendell calmly nodded the ball into the ground to open his United account in his third appearance.

As the infamous Stuart Attwell blew the whistle for half-time, United knew they had the momentum. [Rubbish new stadium feature joke alert] When the players left the home changing room for the second half, there was certainly light at the end of the tunnel…

Rendell almost doubled his tally moments after the interval as he headed a Leven free-kick towards the corner of the goal. However, he was denied by an excellent sprawling save from Brill.

United continued to flood forward at every opportunity and Johnson continued his battle with the Barnet keeper, this time thumping a shot past the stopper onto the woodwork from an angle.

The second goal was coming and when it came, it was from the most familiar of sources. Barnet failed to learn the lessons of previous indiscretions around their own area, allowing Leven to swing another dangerous ball into the box. Whing toe-poked a volley goalwards under pressure from a defender and after several ricochets, the ball fell to Rendell. His effort was blocked on the line, before Constable smashed his eleventh goal of the season into the roof of the net to the joy of the Oxford fans behind the goal.

United had the lead that they deserved, but almost threw it away seconds later. Michael Duberry and Damian Batt were caught under a high cross and as the latter's desperate header fell to the diminutive midfielder, it seemed as if the home fans' previous taunts were going to come back to haunt them. Fortunately, Deering scuffed his effort harmlessly wide.

The home side continued to play some attractive football and were twice unlucky not to extend the lead further. Playmaker Leven had his own effort on goal which was palmed wide of the post by Brill, before Constable ended a mazy run by shooting straight at the visitors' goalkeeper.

United's failure to extend the lead soon looked to have been costly as a deep-lying defence were caught out by a Deering through-ball and Batt hauled Mark Byrne to the ground. The offence took place right on the edge of the area, but referee Attwell pointed to the spot despite the protests of United's players. McLoed stepped up, but his low effort was forced away by penalty master Clarke. The hastily produced statistics suggest that this was Clarke's eleventh save from fourteen penalties in an Oxford shirt.

Wilder had been forced to replace the injured Whing with Mark Wilson, whilst Anthony Tonkin and Harry Worley came off the bench to help protect the lead as United dropped deeper and deeper. Happily, there were no further opportunities and the nervous Oxford fans in the 5,848 crowd were able to reflect on a second successive home victory.

The start and end may have been less than vintage, but the middle third of the game was certainly encouraging for Wilder's men. The passing was crisp, the movement intelligent and the creativity flowing. A failure to put the visitors to bed remains a frustration, but this was an improvement on the previous week's effort.

Mr Attwell has had a well publicised start to his career and was a disappointing selection after his demotion from the Premier League group of referees. His insistence on talking players through every decision was often unnecessary and some decisions were confusing, but it is to Attwell's credit that he wasn't swayed by some vociferous pressure from Barnet players throughout. Several possible bookings were ignored in the first half, but Michael Duberry, Oli Johnson joined Barnet's Sead Hajrovic and Jordan Obita in the notebook for late challenges.

This victory gives United a five point cushion over Port Vale in eighth, although Mickey Adams' side have a game in hand. Swindon moved to the top of the table after coming from behind to beat Shrewsbury Town at the County Ground. With at least a game in hand over the teams behind them (Crawley apart, who have two in hand on Swindon), Paolo Di Canio's side are irritatingly well placed. Cheltenham remain second, whilst Southend's patchy form continued as a Josh Payne penalty contributed to a 2-0 victory for Aldershot Town. Paul Sturrock's men remain in third place, nine points above United, having played one game more. Play-off chasers Gillingham and Rotherham played out a goalless draw, whilst Crewe moved above Accrington with a 2-0 victory at Stanley. In a crucial clash at the bottom of the table, Northampton town moved level on points with Plymouth Argyle and Hereford United after a 3-2 victory over United's next opponents, Macclesfield Town.

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