JORDAN Bowery scored twice as Oxford United provided just the response they needed in thrashing Exeter City.

Coming on the back of successive defeats and in the absence of injured top scorer Kemar Roofe, they emphatically answered the doubters to stay ahead of the chasing pack in Sky Bet League Two.

Chey Dunkley opened the scoring with his first goal for the club early on and Bowery doubled the lead with a cool finish before the break.

The tall striker completed his brace as part of a quick fire double around the hour mark, with Alex MacDonald also getting on on the act.

Alex Nicholls pulled a goal back for the home side, but United never looked ruffled as they played their way back into form.

United had just 13 fit players on Monday, but an extra 24 hours had allowed several players to recover.

There was just one change, with top scorer Roofe left at home to rest his groin, giving Callum O'Dowda a chance to start, while new signing George Waring was named on the bench.

United's first touch of the game fell to Benji Buchel, who carefully watched Ryan Harley's free-kick inside the opening minute.

The visitors had lost their previous two games, but looked much more like their old selves and were able to find space on the counter.

Openings followed and when O'Dowda burst through the middle to slip in Chris Maguire, it took an excellent save from Bobby Olejnik to deny the Scot.

But the danger was not over for City and from a short corner MacDonald crossed for Dunkley to head home from six yards.

It was just the start United would have hoped for after a bad week, but they had to dig in to preserve their advantage.

City probed and caused moments of danger, but Harley's early set piece was their only effort on target before the break.

The hosts' best moments came midway through the half. Joel Grant smashed a shot just wide from 20 yards, before a minute later Dunkley continued a good night individually with a crucial block on David Wheeler.

United had less of the ball, but when they looked dangerous when they did get forward.

Just before the half-hour mark Olejnik came out to foil O'Dowda after the winger was released by a glorious pass from Lundstram.

The former Everton youngster starred again four minutes before the break, this time to decisive effect. Lundstram won a block tackle in his own half and showed a real turn of pace before putting Bowery in to slot past Olejnik in front of the jubilant away fans.

Maguire almost added a third goal in first-half stoppage time, firing a free-kick inches wide.

City boss Paul Tisdale's was marking his 500th game in charge, but the Grecians were booed off by some fans at the break.

The mood inside St James Park quickly darkened as United made the game safe with a rapid double from Maguire corners.

On 58 minutes another quick counter-attack caused problems and from the resulting set piece Bowery leapt to nod in his second goal of the night.

If that made the points safe for United, just four minutes later MacDonald killed the game for good.

After Sercombe saw Olejnik turn his shot round the post, another Maguire corner this time picked out the diminutive wide man to flick a header in off the far post.

United were in cruise control and head coach Michael Appleton had the luxury of giving Joe Skarz, MacDonald and Bowery a rest with his substitutions.

It included a debut for Waring, but before he could make an impact City pulled a goal back.

Nicholls showed great finesse to curl a shot into the far corner from the edge of the box with 13 minutes still to play.

It was very nearly 4-2 as Buchel clattered a clearance against Dunkley and watched helplessly as the ball ricocheted just wide of his goal.

Waring had scored on his loan debut for Barnsley last season and almost repeated the feat when he diverted a cross on to the crossbar.

It mattered little, United had long since made the points safe.

Exeter City (4-2-3-1): Olejnik, Davies, Brown, Moore-Taylor, Holmes (Watkins 74), Harley, Tillson, Wheeler, Nicholls, Grant (Taylor HT), Stockley (Morrison HT).

Unused subs: Hamon, Butterfield, Woodman, Reid.

Booked: Tillson.

Oxford Utd (4-4-2): Buchel, Kenny, Mullins, Dunkley, Skarz, MacDonald, Sercombe, Lundstram, O'Dowda, Maguire, Bowery.

Subs used: Evans (Skarz 64), Ismail (MacDonald 70), Waring (Bowery 76).

Unused subs: Slocombe, Ashby, Ruffels, Hylton.

Booked: None.

Referee: Simon Hooper (Wiltshire).

Attendance: 3,089 (317 visitors).