HAT-TRICK hero Conor McAleny believes Oxford United’s superb form will have the Sky Bet League One play-off sides looking nervously over their shoulders.

Michael Appleton’s men made it six wins from eight league games with a 4-0 thrashing away to Chesterfield on Saturday.

It lifted them to a season-high ninth place and cut the gap to the play-off places down to four points – with up to two games in hand on those above.

McAleny starred in the pummelling at the Proact Stadium, hitting the accelerator after Rob Hall’s opener.

The Everton loanee also struck the winner at Charlton Athletic four days earlier and reckons the past week has firmly established United as genuine top-six contenders.

“I think it has, yes,” he said

“The squad is high on confidence and there will be a few teams around the play-off positions having a close look now.

“We’ve just got to keep racking the points up and creep up slowly but surely. Hopefully we can do that.”

McAleny had never scored more than once in a senior game before, so was thrilled to claim the match ball.

He intends to give the memento to his parents, who were among the 960 fans in the away end.

The 24-year-old commented: “They will appreciate it more than me.

“I’ve been waiting a long time for that, so I’m delighted.

“I’d say the second goal is my

favourite, it looks better on the eye.

“As soon as we got the first one and then the second it was only a matter of time before their heads went down. It could’ve been five or six.

“Fair play to the fans, they didn’t stop singing, and to give them something to cheer about was really good.”

While McAleny’s haul hogged the headlines, his partnership with Toni Martinez is beginning to blossom.

Although Spain youth international Martinez, on loan from West Ham, speaks limited English, McAleny felt it was no obstacle to building a rapport on the field.

He said: “It’s football talk, isn’t it?

“We speak beforehand and the more that we play together the better we’ll know each other’s game.

“It’s working well at the minute, so happy days.”