A cheer of relief rang round the CNG Stadium as the final whistle sounded after Town had gained their first win of the season.
Adam Nowakowski returned from injury and Jake Speight was given a place on the subs bench.
Town applied early pressure and won four corners in succession forcing Oxford keeper, Mark Scott into making two good saves.
Oxford recovered and with Javi Rodriguez pulling the strings began to stretch the Town defence.
Adi Yussuf,who played briefly for Town last season,just failed to reach Tom Winters’ teasing cross,before he returned the compliment and Waters hit the angle of the post and bar with Phil Barnes stranded.
James Walshaw was posing a constant threat to the visiting defence,but it was a back header by defender Ben Brown that caused Scott to scramble back to keep his goal intact.
Ten minutes after the break Town struck the vital blow. Adam Nowakowski’s perseverance won the ball on the right touchline and set up the move which culminated with Jonathan Margetts beating Scott with a low drive into the corner.
Jack Emmett then replaced Nowakowski and Jake Speight made his long awaited appearance, replacing Margetts.
Oxford brought on the towering Bidemi Ofolabi as they tried to pull an equaliser out of the bag.
A Winters piledriver rattled the advertising boards, before he then forced Barnes into a diving save.
However,Town spurned a late chance to double their lead when Dominic Rowe broke clear,but he elected to pass when a shot would have been the better option and Paul Stonehouse was able to clear.
Town
1 Barnes, 2 Rowe, 3 Meynell, 4 Bloomer, 5 Heath, 6 McGurk (c),7 Kerry, 8 Lenighan, 9 Margetts (Speight 79), 10 Walshaw, 11 Nowakowski ( Emmett 76).
Unused subs, 13 Crook, 14 Swain, 16 Franks. Booking Lenighan
Scorer, Margetts Man of the Match Lenighan Att 398
By John Harrison.
