MARK Harris netted a double as Oxford United claimed a huge three points on the road at Derby County.

Harris gave United a first half lead when he smashed the ball inside Joe Wildsmith’s near post shortly after the half-hour mark.

The Welshman doubled his tally with under 20 minutes to go with an altogether different strike, as he picked his spot with a low finish from the edge of the 18-yard box.

Rams substitute Martyn Waghorn lashed home a late consolation to set up a thrilling finale, but the U’s held on.

Liam Manning made two changes from the side which beat Carlisle United at the weekend, as Marcus McGuane and Tyler Goodrham replaced Josh McEachran and Ruben Rodrigues, who were both named on the bench.

The hosts named an unchanged line-up from the side which beat Burton Albion 3-0, meaning former U’s captain Curtis Nelson started in a back three.

The first segment of the game was frantic at both ends of the pitch, with Eiran Cashin heading over a Conor Hourihane corner and Harris scuffing a left-footed shot comfortably wide following some neat interplay with Billy Bodin.

Cameron Brannagan then had a go from 35 yards but his fifth-minute effort went harmlessly wide.

Just after the quarter of an hour mark, Marcus Browne shot from the right channel of the penalty area, and forced Wildsmith to get down low and push behind the winger’s strike for a corner.

Tyler Goodrham then led a one-man counter-attack as he had the entire Rams half to run into.

However, the young attacker had Korey Smith for company, and although Goodrham managed to squeeze his way into the box, Smith closed down the angle and shrugged him off the ball.

The U’s had a faint penalty shout waved against them when Harris pounced on a loose ball and appeared to have shirt pulled in the area, however referee Ben Toner was unmoved.

At the other end, there was a let-off for United as Nathaniel Mendez-Laing barged Stephan Negru off the ball and found himself one-on-one with James Beadle, however Toner deemed it a foul.

Not long after, the U’s took the lead when Brannagan intercepted a loose pass and played the ball through to Harris, who fired into the roof of the net.

The hosts looked to hit back immediately, as Max Bird saw a shot deflect out for a corner, while Beadle pushed a Cashin header over his crossbar.

Sonny Bradley then had a header deflect out for another Rams set piece, but United entered the break with a one-goal advantage.

At the beginning of the second half, Bodin saw an acrobatic effort from inside the area deflect behind for a corner, which ultimately came to nothing for the U’s.

James Collins then headed comfortably wide from a Kane Wilson cross as the home crowd ramped up the noise in the second period, yet Bodin poked an effort wide from the edge of the box after tidy play with Harris up front.

Bodin had another chance following a rapid counter-attack, when he bent a left-footed shot from 20 yards towards Wildsmith’s left-hand post, however the Rams goalkeeper did brilliantly to get a glove on the ball and tip it round the post.

Harris grabbed his brace after 72 minutes when he picked his spot and expertly steered home Rodrigues’ cutback from 18 yards out.

Rams substitute Liam Thompson had a fizzing 25-yard effort tipped over by Beadle, as the home side desperately searched for a route back into the game.

They got just that when Waghorn rifled in after the visitors failed to deal with a long throw-in.

The noise again went up inside Pride Park, with Nelson nodding just wide as seven minutes of stoppage time were shown.

Derby County (3-5-2): Wildsmith; Nelson, Bradley (Washington 59), Cashin; Ward (Wilson 25), Smith (Waghorn 68), Bird, Hourihane, Forsyth; Mendez-Laing (Elder 68), Collins (Thompson 59).

Unused subs: Vickers, Rooney.

Booked: Collins, Hourihane, Wilson.

Oxford United (4-2-3-1): Beadle; Long, Moore, Negru, Brown; McGuane, Brannagan; Browne (McEachran 87), Bodin (Stevens 75), Goodrham (Rodrigues 57); Harris (O’Donkor 87).

Unused subs: Eastwood, Mills, Smyth.

Booked: Long, Beadle.

Referee: Ben Toner (Lancashire).

Attendance: 25,292 (TBC away).