Mansfield Town 1 Oxford United 3

Tonight, Oxford strolled to their second away win of the season, and their first away win on Setanta, and their first win under Jim Smith's new caretaker regime. This was a case of under-performing players lifting their game for a new manager (or potential watching new managers) and it worked a treat as they dominated the second half against a woeful Mansfield side.

United started strongly in a 5-3-2 formation, familiar to those who know Smith's ways, but probably unusual to most of the players. In the ninth minute Chris Carruthers rode a tackle and swung in an excellent cross that James Constable headed home. Constable should have been marked by Alex Jeannin, but the former Oxford defender kindly allowed Constable a free header. United continued to look the better side, but in the 21st minute Adnan Ahmed went down like a sack of spuds after the most minuscule of touches (if any) by Chris Willmott, and Nathan Arnold swerved the resulting free kick around the wall and into the bottom corner, past the unsighted Billy Turley. As often happens with a defensive formation, United then started to get deeper and deeper as Mansfield piled on the pressure, and the Oxford forwards received little service and no space. Fortunately, Mansfield were lacking punch up front, and the Yellows, playing in blue, held on to half time.

United changed their shape in the second half, and it paid immediate dividends as they found the space needed to attack the Mansfield fullbacks, especially the suspect Jeannin. However, it was Mansfield who came closest to breaking the deadlock when a flowing move ended with Jonathan D'Laryea's goal-bound shot excellently blocked by Eddie Hutchinson, having one of his best games in an Oxford shirt. Three minutes later ROS Sam Deering had a long-range effort straight at Paddy Gamble and the game was now opening up. Five minutes later Constable played a fine through-ball for Jamie Guy to run onto. Guy out-muscled the covering defender and toe-poked the ball past Gamble to give the Us the lead. Shortly after Stags boss Billy McEwan replaced Ahmed, to resounding boos from the home supporters, Oxford scored the goal of the season, maybe even the goal of the millennium. Deering latched onto a poor clearance from Gamble, beat a defender and then lofted a 20-yard shot perfectly over the goalkeeper and into the net for his first senior competitive goal. Yay. Three minutes from time Mansfield almost scored an undeserved consolation when a shot from Mark Stallard took a deflection, but the wrong-footed Turley did brilliantly to change direction and push the ball out for a corner.

Smith's first team selection in over a year showed a number of changes to Darren Patterson's last team selection. With James Clarke injured, Joe Burnell came into the side playing right-wingback in the first half and a more conventional right back in the second. Willmott played as one of the nominal back three, while Phil Trainer joined Hutch and Adam Murray in central midfield. Guy started up front in place of Yemi Odubade. Smith's first substitution was an enforced one, taking place at half time, and it changed the game as Deering replaced Carruthers, who had taken a knock at the end of the first half. With two minutes to go Yemi came on for Guy.

Tonight's referee was P Curry, who had a very good game for his first one in charge of Oxford United, despite the dodgy free kick for Mansfield's goal. No one got booked. The attendance was a pitiful, but hardly surprising, 1,553.

The three points lift United, temporarily at least, into the top half of the Conference table, as they climb five places to 11th, just eight points off the play offs. Mansfield remain 18th.[@news]2419[/@news][@opponent]mansfield town[/@opponent]