AN excellent second-half performance saw Oxford United deliver an important Boxing Day win in front of their biggest crowd for two years.

It took a while for the hosts to get going - and Chey Dunkley was fortunate to avoid a second booking late in an even first half.

But a United victory looked on the cards from the moment John Lundstram opened the scoring three minutes after the break.

The excellent George Baldock doubled the advantage, before Liam Sercombe rubbed salt in the wounds with a late goal against his former side.

Victory took United up to second in the Sky Bet League Two table - and four points clear of fourth-placed Portsmouth.

Head coach Michael Appleton made three changes to the side which started the 2-1 defeat at Wycombe Wanderers a week earlier.

Sam Slocombe and Jake Wright returned for their first league starts since October, with Benji Buchel and Johnny Mullins dropping to the bench.

The other change saw Ryan Taylor replace Danny Hylton.

Wright looked rusty and within 40 seconds a loose touch gifted the ball to Jamie Reid, whose shot was deflected over by a scrambling United skipper.

  • Oxford United walk out to more than 9,600 fans - the biggest Kassam Stadium attendance for two years and included a huge new banner behind the goal, which read 'Let the good times roll again'

It was part of a lively start, with Chris Maguire bending a shot just wide as United threatened at the other end.

Both sides looked better going forward than they were at the back, which made for an eventful game.

Taylor nodded a Maguire cross wide, before Alex MacDonald tested Bobby Olejnik with a free-kick straight from the training ground.

The City goalkeeper was rooted to the spot midway through the half, when Kemar Roofe diverted a low Lundstram shot just the wrong side of the post.

The visitors were wobbling, but recovered and had the best of a scrappy finish to the half.

Twice Ollie Watkins should have done better when in good shooting positions, firing one opening straight at Slocombe and smashing the other high into the East Stand.

United looked nervous at the back, Dunkley especially.

The big centre back picked up a booking after getting in a tangle near the touchline and hauling down Tom Nichols.

Within six minutes Dunkley was sweating when a poor header from Wright saw him bring down a charging Watkins.

It sparked a shoving match as City players argued for a second booking, while Baldock and MacDonald squared up to the visitors.

After a lengthy discussion with his assistant, referee Graham Salisbury showed yellow cards to Baldock, MacDonald, Jordan Tillson and Alex Nicholls.

But there was a big roar from the home fans when the official let off Dunkley, who arguably did not see Watkins coming.

It was virtually the defender's last act of the game, as he was substituted for Mullins at the break.

Oxford Mail:

  • George Baldock (left) celebrates his goal with John Lundstram 

United's nerves were settled three minutes after the restart.

A long passing move saw Maguire's cross beat everyone but Sercombe rescued the ball, which was recycled to MacDonald.

The chance appeared to have gone when the winger ran away from goal, but he teed up Lundstram to curl a side-footed shot from 25 yards into the net.

Instantly United began to use the ball more effectively than at any stage in the first half.

Roofe stabbed a shot wide after playing a sharp one-two in the box with Sercombe.

At the back the hosts still looked capable of an error and Slocombe made a mess of one high ball which led to a Nichols shot which was saved.

A one-goal lead looked precarious, but fortunately midway through the half Baldock delivered.

The full back had been magnificent since half-time and after exchanging passes with Taylor, who did well to hold off a challenge, Baldock drove a low shot into the far corner from just inside the box.

It was a hugely important goal, forcing City to gamble and leave gaps at the back.

United lost Maguire to what looked like a hamstring injury, but they kept the hammer down.

Substitutes Patrick Hoban and Callum O'Dowda, the latter on for Taylor, quickly combined.

O'Dowda streaked clear and rounded Olejnik, only to see his shot cleared off the line by Jordan Moore-Taylor.

Olejnik also saved two shots from Roofe as United sensed an opportunity.

The third goal duly arrived in the 89th minute.

Lundstram drove strongly from the centre circle before slipping Sercombe in to clip a shot into the net.

His celebrations were muted against the club where he spent 12 years, but it kick-started a party for the U's fans which continued all the way to the final whistle.

Oxford Utd: Slocombe, Baldock, Dunkley (Mullins HT), Wright, Skarz, MacDonald, Sercombe, Lundstram, Roofe, Maguire (Hoban 79), Taylor (O'Dowda 79).

Unused subs: Buchel, Evans, Ruffels, O'Dowda, Hylton.

Exeter City: Olejnik, Davies, Tillson, Moore-Taylor, Woodman, Grant (Holmes 59), Oakley (Morrison 78), Nicholls, Watkins, Reid (Wheeler 70), Nichols.

Unused subs: Hamon, Butterfield, McAllister, Oyeleke Referee: Graham Salisbury (Lancashire).

Attendance: 9,683 (547 visitors).