JAMES Henry’s late winner at managerless Doncaster Rovers sent Oxford United into the Sky Bet League One play-off places.

Like at Sheffield Wednesday in October, the midfielder came off the bench to give the U’s a 2-1 victory on the road.

United had made hard work of it against the League One strugglers, with Mark Sykes’s early strike cancelled out by Branden Horton’s equaliser 16 minutes from time.

But up stepped Henry to send the U’s fifth in the table with his seventh goal of the season, as the visitors extended their unbeaten league run to eight matches.

Karl Robinson made four changes to his line-up, but insisted his team selection did not have one eye on Saturday’s trip to MK Dons.

Jordan Thorniley and Sykes made their first starts since recovering from Covid, while Steve Seddon returned from suspension and Marcus McGuane began in midfield.

Henry, Nathan Holland and Anthony Forde dropped to the bench, with Luke McNally left out of the squad as Robinson named an attacking set of substitutes.

United were on the front foot from the start and almost scored inside two minutes, with Cameron Brannagan shooting just wide from McGuane’s cut-back.

It set the tone for a half the U’s dominated, although it took them until Sykes’s fifth goal of the season to create another chance of note.

Gavin Whyte burst forward from halfway and his cross came back to him, so he set up his teammate.

Sykes raced into the penalty area and got a bit of luck as the ball cannoned off a defender and back into his path, before finding the top corner from a tight angle.

Louis Jones got down well at his near post to stop Sykes adding another three minutes later, with the goalkeeper booked for handling outside his area soon after.

With Doncaster unable to keep hold of possession the home fans soon turned on their team and their mood was not helped by some strange decisions in United’s favour by referee James Oldham.

The U’s were not at their best themselves and lost the ball too many times, but their opponents lacked the class to capitalise.

Doncaster rallied late in the half and captain Tom Anderson headed straight at Simon Eastwood from a corner, before the U’s fans thought their team had scored when a Brannagan shot hit the stanchion and rebounded – literally – towards the back of the net.

Both managers made changes at the break, with Henry replacing Brannagan and moving to the right of the midfield three.

Doncaster caretaker boss Gary McSheffrey brought on Joe Dodoo and Jordy Hiwula for Ben Blythe and Tiago Cukur as Doncaster switched to 4-2-3-1.

Hiwula immediately fired a warning shot when he lifted the ball over the crossbar from 15 yards, although the U’s had the ball in the net seconds later.

Whyte chased a cross-field pass and teed up Sam Long to cross, with Matty Taylor diving to head home at the back post – only for the linesman’s flag to cut short the celebrations.

They should have been 2-0 up eight minutes into the half, as Doncaster lost the ball from a corner and Herbie Kane played Whyte through on goal.

The winger had time to pick his spot, but Jones stood up to block the shot and a massive chance went begging.

It was a dangerous lead and Tommy Rowe fired over from 25 yards just after the hour mark, before setting up Hiwula to drag past the far post.

Whyte beat Jones with his next chance 20 minutes into the half, but the linesman’s flag had already gone up.

He was replaced by Holland shortly after, while Omar Bogle replaced Aiden Barlow for his first Doncaster appearance since August.

The U’s could not score that crucial second goal and Horton made them pay with 16 minutes left.

Rowe won a 50/50 and sprayed a pass out to the full-back, who advanced into the penalty area and fired into Eastwood’s far corner.

Taylor twice went close in the latter stages, but first headed off target after Kane’s cross found him unmarked and then dragged wide on the slide from Sykes’s dangerous ball.

It looked like United would have to settle for a point, until Henry popped up with another priceless goal.

Steve Seddon drove forward and laid the ball into the path of the substitute, who arrowed a shot into the top corner from 18 yards in front of the travelling fans.

Doncaster Rovers (3-4-2-1): Jones, Knoyle, Anderson, Blythe (Dodoo 46), Hasani, Smith, Galbraith, Horton, Rowe, Barlow (Bogle 69), Cukur (Hiwula 46).

Unused subs: Dahlberg, Williams, Faulkner, Ravenhill.

Booked: Jones, Smith, Rowe.

Oxford United (4-3-3): Eastwood, Long, Moore, Thorniley, Seddon, McGuane (Williams 86), Kane, Brannagan (Henry 46), Whyte (Holland 69), Taylor, Sykes.

Unused subs: Plumley, Forde, Bodin, Agyei.

Booked: None.

Referee: Scott Oldham (Derbyshire).

Attendance: TBC.