United broke hoodoos and records tonight as they eased past Exeter to stay top of the table. Without a Tuesday night home win for eight years, and with manager Jim Smith clutching his Manager of the Month award, United overcame both jinxes to win through a Steve Basham goal after six minutes. Eight games unbeaten also gives Jim Smith's side their best start in fifty years. Mind you, it was tense!

United were forced into making one change from the team that beat Morecambe on Saturday. Skipper Phil Gilchrist missed the game through injury and was replaced in defence by Matt Day.

Had Lee Phillips shown more composure in the first minute, United would have been behind.However, luckily for the home side Phillips saw his header drift just wide of the post, after which United upped their game and were soon ahead..

United are a team full of confidence and from their first move of the match, they took the lead.Andy Burgess picked up the ball in the 6^th minute and seeing the away defence square and defending high up the pitch, played a lovely weighted through ball for Steve Basham.The United striker then showed all of his class to draw Martin Rice in the Exeter goal and then calmly slot the ball home to give United the lead.

It was a good ball from Burgess who had started well and again proved the point that if you give him space he will hurt you. The Grecians didn't seem to heed the warning though as just a minute later Burgess found space in the box, but saw his shot sail just over the bar.

It was all United at this early stage of the match and Basham saw a good twenty yard shot saved by Rice in the 15^th minute and then saw a shot fly over the bar just a minute later after good work from Burgess and Robinson as United looked for the killer second goal.

Just five minutes later they missed a golden chance to get the second goal when they missed their second penalty in two games.Home debutant Brevett ran at the away defence and played in a ball for Basham.Basham played a quick one-touch ball for Marvin Robinson who was clipped by Chris Todd in the box for the penalty.After the miss at Morecombe, Basham was replaced by Quinn who struck the ball well but Rice guessed the right way and pushed the spot kick away from danger. It was a blow for Oxford as you felt that another goal would end the match as a contest.

Credit to the visitors, as the penalty save seemed to fire them up and for the first time in the match they were pushing United back although it had to be said that the United defence were coping well with the Exeter pressure.

Although The U's had a couple of nervous moments, United held firm and went into the break a goal to the good. There was a change at half time with Hutchinson replaced by John Dempster, and United almost doubled their lead on 51 when the impressive Rice tipped a fine header from Robinson over the bar.

Robinson was winning plenty of the ball in the air and United were shading the second half without really carving the away defence open, but were indebted to Adam Stansfield on 65 minutes for belting the ball into the car park, rather than the empty net ten yards in front of him, after Turley had parried a shot into his path.

Burgess replied with a fine shot just wide on 68 before Yemi was given his customary appearance from the bench for scorer Basham, but Exeter were always a threat and Turley needed to tip a shot over the bar on 78 minutes to preserve the lead. There was an edginess among the fans and the players, perhaps aware of that midweek record, but once again the resilient back line restricted the visitors to relatively few chances and The U's march on.

Not a vintage performance but another important win which nicely sets up the visit of high flying Grays on Saturday. Do yourself a favour and book your ticket now.

Report Julian Hitchman and Chris Williams. Pictures Darrell Fisher