Luke Foster headed home a corner eight minutes from time to bring Oxford United victory at the Kassam Stadium on Sunday after they had to come from behind against lowly Lewes.

Chris Wilder's in-form team looked like being frustrated after they laid siege to the Lewes goal late in the game, until Foster converted Adam Murray's flag kick.

Murray had pulled them level from a long-range free-kick after the Sussex side took a surprise lead.

But the U's were as much indebted to their goalkeeper, Billy Turley, for the three points as anyone else.

He brilliantly saved a penalty from Elliott Charles six minutes into the second half.

Craig Farrell was making his debut following his signing on Saturday on loan from York City.

And with him taking the place of the suspended James Constable, United were able to stick with the same shape and system of previous games.

Most notably, that kept Murray in the position where he's most dangerous, just behind the centre forward and always getting into space.

Playing with a strong and biting eaterly wind at their backs in the first half, the U's had to make sure they didn't overhit their forward passes, which would simply run on to goalkeeper Rikki Banks.

But there was no problem with the tempo at which they began, moving the ball quickly and allowing Lewes little time to settle.

The visitors, who beat United last September, were due to have Michael Standing, the former Oxford player, in their midfield, but he had to drop out before kick-off because of a back injury.

An early inswinging corner from Craig Nelthorpe caused Banks problems, and from the corner that followed the keeper's tip-over, Luke Foster's header was nodded off the line by Anthony Barness.

Banks's positioning for that header was very suspect, and it might have been in the Oxford players' minds that they were up against a dodgy keeper when Murray equalised.

There was stunned silence around the stadium when the Rooks took an 11th-minute lead.

Joseph Keehan was allowed a ridiculous amount of space, with no-one moving to close him down, and his shot from the edge of the area deflected off Foster's boot as he challenged, and looped over Turley and into the goal.

Oxford knew there was no need to panic, however, because there was more than enough time to get back into the match.

Adam Chapman had already been showing some silky skills on the ball, and with Murray orchestrating most of their attacks, they looked useful going forward.

A threaded pass from Murray released Farrell through the middle, and the new signing fired a rasping drive just past the far post.

But on 17 minutes, they were level, thanks to the quality, and lack of it, respectively, from Murray and Banks.

United's skipper drove a 30-yard free-kick, from out wide on the left, towards goal, and although it caught in the wind, the keeper should still have been able to deal with it, yet saw it fly over his head and in, as he could only get his fingertips to it.

Although second from bottom in the table, Lewes are lively going forward, and in the wonderfully named Kieron Minto St Aimie, had a forward who caused Foster and Chris Willmott quite a few problems.

United missed other opportunities before half-time. Lewis Haldane couldn't glance in a near-post header from Nelthorpe's cross, and another excellent free-kick by Murray, around the wall, this time produced a decent save from Banks, parrying to his left.

But the home side had a let-off in first-half stoppage time when Foster's over-casual play let in Stefan Cox who, luckily for them, stumbled in front of goal with just Turley to beat. Turley then gave Foster a piece of his mind.

That let-off, though, was nothing to the one on 51 minutes, when Willmott was adjudged to have clipped Keehan's ankle inside the box and the ref awarded a penalty.

Tuley brilliantly saved Elliott Charles's spot kick low to his left and then was alert enough to get up and dive back on the ball after it squirmed out of his grasp and trickled onto the goalline.

From then on it was like the Alamo as United pummelled the Lewes goal with shot upon shot.

Haldane had a powerful drive saved, Foster and Farrell fired over, and substitute Yemi Odubade, having replaced Eddie Hutchinson to give the U's more attacking thrust, looked to be brought down in a crowded box, but the ref ignored the fans' penalty appeals.

Nelthorpe had a shot saved and home supporters were becoming anxious as time was starting to run out.

But from the set piece, Foster nodded in from five yards - and that was that.

Oxford Utd: Turley, Batt, Willmott, Foster, Carruthers, Haldane, Chapman, Hutchinson (Odubade 55), Murray, Nelthorpe, Farrell (Day 90). Subs not used: Hinchliffe, Clarke, Taylor. Booked: Murray.

Att: 4,595 (50 from Lewes)