Oxford United owner Ian Lenagan said he ‘could not speak highly enough’ of the job Kelvin Thomas has done at the club.

Lenagan lavished praise on United’s chairman at the club’s end-of-season awards dinner on Saturday night.

And the U’s backer said that the club still believe that they can fulfil their ambition of reaching the Championship in “four or five years”.

The evening marked a number of notable achievements in United’s first season back in the Football League, but it was one person who did not win an award that received the highest praise.

Thomas has been in charge at United for more than two-and-a-half years, and has transformed the club off the pitch – helping them make a profit for each of the last two seasons.

“A lot of great achievements have been marked tonight, but there is one gap that I must fill,” Lenagan said.

“There is one person who has contributed more to this club over the past two years or so than anyone else, and that is our chairman, Kelvin Thomas.

“I do not have an award for Kelvin, but do have great praise.

“The spirit and professionalism with which he has carried out his work – and the pleasure he gives to everyone with his work at the club – is clear for all to see.

“I cannot speak highly enough of the job he has done here.

“You can feel the ambition, and we have said that we would like to be in the Championship in four or five years and there is no reason why we cannot do that.

“Nobody wants that more than Kelvin, and I know how much he loves Oxford United and wants them to succeed.”

Leading scorer James Constable picked up two awards, the Andrew Knapton Supporters’ player of the year trophy, as well as the Golden Boot.

Harry Worley, Tom Craddock and Ryan Clarke were also double winners.

Worley won the young player of the year honour, as well as the Oxford Mail Supporters’ man-of-the-match award – voted by readers of oxfordmail.co.uk throughout the season.

Craddock claimed goal of the season for his fine strike at Hereford, as well as the Oxford media’s moment of the season – his injury time strike to give the U’s a 2-1 win over Port Vale – seconds after the visitors had levelled.

Clarke picked up the player’s player of the year as well as the Big Banana’s top banana award, given by radio station Jack FM.

Alan Hodgkinson and Sue Trafford won the other awards for their services to the club.