A goal in each half from the recalled James Constable brought United victory over Crewe.

The first came on 30 minutes, when some teams take a break, and the second on 67 demonstrated his fierce determination as he used his power to beat a defender before shooting home.

They were his first goals since February 1 and took his tally this season to 15.

When he struck the opening goal, Constable and Tom Craddock almost got in each other’s way on the left edge of the area.

But ‘Beano’ took it upon himself to get the ball, and created room for himself to drill in a low shot which wrong-footed goalkeeper Rhys Taylor.

By now Craddock was standing several yards offside, but he was not interfering with play, and Constable was able to celebrate his first goal since February 1.

Chris Wilder made five changes to his starting line-up following the disappointing defeat by Stevenage, with Damian Batt, Anthony Tonkin, Simon Heslop and Constable returning, and on-loan Doncaster midfielder Ryan Burge handed a debut.

Crewe were making their first visit to Oxford for 13 years and their first appearance at the Kassam Stadium.

They have always been renowned as a fine passing and creative team, and it soon became clear that there would be much more football played than last Tuesday. And no drinks breaks either.

Burge’s first touch released Constable for a race towards goal, alongside a defender that he made something of, albeit with a shot well wide.

But it looked as though United’s talismanic centre forward was out of touch, as he was twice let down by a poor touch.

Crewe produced the first decent effort on goal when striker Shaun Miller chested down and shot on the turn from Danny Blanchett’s long free-kick.

Ryan Clarke turned the effort around his post.

United’s keeper, along with the home supporters, were bemused by the fact that, from another long free-kick, centre half Adam Dugdale was left completely unmarked, but he headed wide from eight yards.

The game was by now quite pleasing on the eye, and end-to-end.

Heslop went close with a rasping 20-yard volley that flashed past the right post.

And Clarke pulled off a superb one-handed save from Luke Murphy’s close-range flicked shot.

Craddock headed over, from some way out, as the home side built up some momentum ahead of Constable firing them in front.

The confidence they gained from the goal was apparent, as they began passing it crisply.

A few minutes later, from Steve MacLean’s well-weighted past, Craddock cut in past two defenders to strike a fierce low shot that Taylor got down well to stop.

At the start of the second half, the visitors’ keeper looked to have handled the ball outside his area, under pressure from Constable, yet the referee’s assistant, just a few yards away, ignored Oxford’s appeals.

Burge provided a deft pass into the box for Constable when the skipper got his second goal midway through the second half.

But the rest was all Constable’s work as he muscled past a defender and then shot right-footed beyond Taylor and into the net.

Sub Ajay Leitch-Smith pulled back a consolation goal for Alex deep into stoppage time with a long-range shot that took a deflection to beat Clarke.

Oxford Utd: Clarke, batt, Worley, Wright, Tonkin, Heslop, McLaren (Payne 61), Burge, MacLean, Constable, Craddock (Potter 61).

Att: 6,751 (399 from Crewe).