United march on at the top of the table after a hat-trick from top scorer Rob Duffy and  strikes from Yemi Odubade and Chris Hargreaves sealed three points at Forest Green.

United shuffled their pack, making two changes to the team that drew against Southport on Saturday.Rufus Brevett and Eddie Hutchinson were rested and started on the bench and were replaced by Matt Day and Chris Hargreaves.After the poor start on Saturday, it was important for United to start well but it was almost a case of déjà vu as in the second minute when the home side almost opened the scoring. A long cross from Alex Lawless hung up in the blustery wind and with Billy Turley rooted to his line, Alex Meechan rose at the back post, but saw his header drift just wide.

To be fair to Forest Green, at this early stage of the match it was the home side that were having the better of the early exchanges.Rob Duffy almost changed that in the 15^th minute when he saw his twenty-five yard thunderbolt fly just wide of the post and then just a minute later, Steve Basham appeared to be pushed at the back post when he tried to convert a deep Anaclet cross.

Just when you thought that Oxford were starting to get on top they almost gifted the home side the opening goal in the 25^th minute.There seemed to be little danger when Allan Russell chased a lost cause long ball, but Barry Quinn scuffed his attempted back pass to Turley which allowed Russell to touch the ball past the United keeper. With only the retreating United defence to beat, he inexplicably hit the post from four yards.It was a bad, bad miss.Just how bad was proved a minute later when United went straight up the other end and scored.

Turley dusted himself off launched a long clearance upfield which was flicked on into the path of Duffy. The striker then showed real ability to cut inside his defender and curl in a wonderful shot from the edge of the box past a despairing dive from Steve Williams.It was another great finish from Duffy who improves with every game.

The home side refused to lie down though and it took a last minute deflection from Matt Day to divert a goal-bound effort over the bar Meechan as Forest Green looked to hit back straight away.

The home fans did not have to wait long though as they scored a deserved equalizer in the 39^th minute.They won a free kick on the right, and although Turley did well to punch away the initial cross, the ball was played back across goal where Russell did well to bundle the ball home.It was disappointing for United, but maybe more of a concern was that the last three goals United had conceded had all come from set pieces.

However, if United have a perceived weakness from set pieces, just a minute from the break the home also showed that they were vulnerable when United regained the advantage direct from a corner. Burgess delivered the ball from the left where Duffy showed great courage and tenacity to dive in and power a header past the stranded Williams.It was another good goal from Duffy, his tenth of the season and he was just starting to maybe become the elusive twenty goal a season striker that Oxford have been yearning for years.

That proved to be the last action of an exciting first half and United would have been very happy to go in at the break ahead, at which stage they switched to 4-4-2.

The change nearly worked immediately as Duffy thumped a header over from a Burgess cross, and the four in midfield gave United extra bodies there against a Rovers side with five in midfield and just the one up front. Duffy had the ball in the net again on 56 but was adjudged offside, and was looking like scoring every time the ball came to him. He headed over again seconds later, and with Williams saving well from Anaclet on 59 minutes United were on top.

Hargreaves almost sealed the match on the hour, firing into the side netting after bursting forward and latching on to a Burgess through ball, before the tiring Basham was replaced by Odubade.

The home side were battling for all they were worth and were creating more chances than many teams have against The U's this season, and on 71 minutes were very unlucky not to draw level as Russell, who worked tirelessly up front on his own all night, got in a shot which hit one post, rolled along the line and then hit the other post before the alert Quinn could clear. That might have changed the game completely, but The U's are fit, hungry and professional and were not to be denied.

It was far from one way traffic in a very entertaining game, and Odubade fired wide of either post just before the game went into the last ten minutes. Yemi was in effervescent mood  and not to be denied, and on 83 minutes he sealed the game with a typically clinical finish. Forest Green captain Darren Jones had been in good form, but Odubade managed to roll him and sprint away, and as he charged into the box he cut back and then thumped home to make it 3-1 and end the game as a competition.

Well taken goals, and we're starting to lose track of the number of games unbeaten: currently a club and Conference record for the start of the season All it needed was for Duffy to complete his hat trick, and on 89 minutes he did just that after Odubade played in Anaclet. Anaclet's low ball found Duffy who dummied brilliantly to flick the bal behind his legs and then got to it and prodded the ball home to make it eleven for the season and a matchball on the sideboard.

There was still time for Hargreaves to smash in the fifth after a loose ball came to him on the edge of the box, to make it a great result and a memorable night out.

Brilliant

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Report Julian Hitchman, Chris Williams. Pictures Darrell Fisher