GOALS from Kemar Roofe and Danny Hylton saw Oxford United win their final home game of the season at a canter against Cambridge United.
The margin of victory would easily have been greater, but the visitors made several blocks on the line and Alex MacDonald fired a shot against the woodwork.
Even so, United produced some of their best attacking football of the season at the Kassam Stadium to give the success-starved home fans something to shout about.
The only sour note was an injury to Johnny Mullins after a horror fall, but while there was concern when he was stretchered off, news quickly followed the centre back was not seriously injured.
Mullins only started the game due to a minor groin injury sustained by Jake Wright.
The change at centre half was the only one from the side which began the 3-0 win at Tranmere Rovers a week earlier.
Hylton was named the supporters' player of the year before kick-off and he had a chance to open the scoring with just 20 seconds on the clock.
Josh Ruffels split the defence with a through ball, but the forward could not quite bring the ball under control on the turn and Will Norris gathered.
United's No 10 got the better of the goalkeeper in the fifth minute, rounding him after intercepting a back header from Josh Coulson.
Hylton had an open goal to aim at, but from an acute angle his shot rolled wide, just out of Roofe's reach.
It was a promising start, but the game quickly lapsed into a sleepy contest.
The home side saw plenty of the ball, but lacked penetration.
Cambridge looked happy to slow the game down and soak up pressure.
It took them 25 minutes to threaten, when the ball fell to Sullay Kaikai in the box, but Mullins made a good block.
Out of the blue, Roofe woke the Kassam Stadium out of their slumber in the 31st minute.
The West Brom loanee collected Hylton's lay-off 15 yards out and without hesitating curled a beauty into the far corner.
It was a fine finish, but the mood was quickly dampened when Mullins landed on his neck after a challenge with Tom Elliott.
The game was delayed for six minutes while the centre back was delicately transferred to a stretcher, before being given a standing ovation from both sets of fans as he was carried off.
Andy Whing came on to play alongside Chey Dunkley in an experimental centre back partnership.
The delay led to a lengthy period of stoppage time, during which United extended their lead.
Dunkley thought he had opened his account with a header from Danny Rose's free-kick, which was brilliantly cleared off the line by Michael Nelson.
But from the corner, again supplied by Rose, Hylton leapt to nod home.
United were in charge and might have made the game safe early in the second half.
Hylton and Roofe caused havoc to create two excellent chances for Alex MacDonald, who was denied on both occasions by desperate blocks from defenders on the line.
Those three players continued to drag Cambridge all over the place and more goals looked a certainty.
MacDonald could not have come closer 18 minutes from time, when he showed brilliant technique with a shot 20 yards out which struck the woodwork and bounced clear.
U's boss Michael Appleton then looked to his bench, bringing on Patrick Hoban and Kyle Vassell.
Roofe and Hylton made way, to prolonged applause from an appreciative home crowd.
Within seconds Hoban might have scored after more good work from MacDonald. Again a Cambridge defender was in the right place to block the shot.
Hoban turned provider in stoppage time, when he played in Vassell.
The striker streaked clear and had all the time in the world, but Norris stood up well to block the shot.
It was the final clear chance, but did not cloud what had been a thoroughly comfortable victory.
Oxford Utd: Ashdown, Long, Dunkley, Mullins (Whing 40), Skarz, Rose, Collins, Ruffels, MacDonald, Hylton (Hoban 78), Roofe (Vassell 78).
Subs not used: Clarke, Ashby, Hawtin, O'Dowda.
Cambridge Utd: Norris, Ball (Tait ht), Coulson, Nelson, Dunk, Kaikai, G Taylor, Morrissey, B Taylor (Bird 57), Slew, Elliott (Simpson 44).
Subs not used: Lanzoni, Hunt, Mendez-Laing, Horne.
Referee: Carl Berry (Surrey).
Attendance: 5,954 (607 visitors).
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