A James Constable double in the last 17 minutes brought Oxford United victory over Mansfield on a glorious Spring afternoon at the Kassam Stadium.

They were his 22nd and 23rd goals of the season - or 25th and 26th if Chester's included.

Substitutes Alfie Potter and Sam Deering combined to help bring the breakthrough goal in the 73rd minute.

Potter fed Deering to his right, and although goalkeeper Alan Marriott managed to save Deering's drive, just, Constable pounced on the loose ball and drilled a left-footed shot past the prostrate keeper and covering defender.

The second goal wasn't that dissimilar. Deering did superbly to stretch Mansfield's defence and keep the ball under control by turning his marker inside the six-yard box. He then laid it sideways, and Constable fired in, with the aid of a deflection.

Chris Wilder reverted to the 4-3-3 of old, with Adam Chapman taking over the role that Adam Murray had before he got injured, spreading passes from deep but also linking up with Dannie Bulman and Simon Clist for short passes to set up attacks.

Up front Jack Midson returned to the strating line-up, operating on the left of James Constable, with Matt Green on the right.

And Kevin Sandwith continued at left back with Anthony Tonkin still feeling his knee injury.

There seemed more positivity around the stadium after Wilder revealed how he and the players had been stunned by the abusive reaction of a small minority during and after Tuesday's goalless draw with Cambridge.

There had been few scoring chances that night, but Oxford carved out one inside the opening two minutes in this game.

It came when Andy Burgess, playing at left back for the Stags, slipped. Green squared to Constable but his first-time shot was straight at keeper Alan Marriott.

As it used to be with Murray, playmaker Chapman was at the centre of most things United tried.

From his left-wing cross, Green got around the back of Mansfield's defence for a diving header, but directed it wide from four yards.

There was a glorious crossfield pass from Chapman, followed by another one not so good, straight into the stand.

But the former Sheffield United player looked to have that extra bit of inventiveness that most of the others didn't, so people were prepared to forgive him for at least trying, even when it didn't come off.

And so it was when he attempted a 40-yard shot soon after. It was never going to beat Marriott, but at least he'd had a go.

Mansfield were not too much of a threat going forward but Jake Speight broke through on the right, only to screw his shot well wide.

And when Burgess fired over a deep cross that Clarke punched out but only a few yards, Louis Briscoe drilled back a shot and Mark Creighton cleared from in front of the goalline, although the effort was probably going wide.

Midson poses an aerial presence and a couple of times he knocked back far-post headers which his teammates couldn't get onto.

And when Kevin Sandwith deliuvered a fine cross midway through the first half, Midson met it with a flicked header which sent the ball just past the far post.

It needed a fine save by Marriott, tipping the ball over the post when Chapman sent in a curling shot from the edge of the box that looked to be heading for the top corner.

There was no shortage of half-chances for the home team. From another Chapan corner, Sandwith climbed highest, but nodded over.

Clist's value to the side was demonstrated by one superb piece of tracking back, as he ran 50 yards to make a vital interception five yards from United's goal.

In the second half, which was marked by some really classy play from Damian Batt, who looked back to his best, Alfie Potter came on for Green.

And Potter's more direct running was to unlock Mansafield's stretched defence.

Potter's close control and dribbling skills lit up the afternoon.

He jinked past three defenders but elected to shoot when Constable was completely free to his right.

Moments later, he bamboozled two more opponents only to shoot into the side-netting.

But after Mark Creighton had to go off, and Sam Deering replaced Bulman, Potter and Deering combined for the breakthrough goal.

Oxford Utd: Clarke, Batt, Creighton (Day 59), Wright, Sandwith, Bulman (Deering 62), Chapman, Clist, M Green (Potter 53), Constable, Midson. Subs not used: Turley, F Green.

Booked: Wright.

Att: 5,712 (232 from Mansfield).