Chris Hackett marked his return from a three-match ban with a superb goal as Oxford United avenged their Christmas Tuesday defeat by Kidderminster in style.

It was the winger's second goal of the season. He had scored in his last away game at Rushden on Boxing Day.

But this one, in the 21st minute, was a bit special as he dribbled past two defenders and fired a low angled shot past the keeper and into the bottom left corner of the goal.

Craig Davies added another before the break and United were cruising to victory.

But Kidderminster, fighting for their lives near the bottom of the table, pressed them back in the second half and the visitors lost their midfield superiority.

Yet right at the death, substitute Steve Basham sealed victory with a well-taken third goal.

It was all United in the first few minutes. Playing with great confidence, they sprayed the ball about, leaving the home side to chase for long periods.

But it was Kidderminster who created the first good opening on the break with Blair Sturrock, being watched by his dad Paul, the Sheffield Wednesday manager, glancing a header goalwards from Gary Birch's left-wing cross.

Chris Tardif produced a fine reaction save to turn it for a corner.

Mateo Corbo was asked to return briefly to the dressing room to change the cycling shorts he was wearing for ones matching Oxford's all-yellow kit.

Tommy Mooney showed good skill to flick the ball over his, and his marker's head, inside the box and, while the Harriers defence stood like statues, Matt Robinson nipped in, but then let himself down with a poor right-footed lob, which cleared the bar by a long way.

Tardif came to United's rescue again with another fine save to his left, turning Birch's downward header onto a post before Barry Quinn hacked clear.

United's defending, to allow Birch a free header, had not been too clever.

Overall, though, Oxford had been quicker to the ball and Hackett's excellent individual goal moments later gave them even more of a spring in their step.

And in the 38th minute, they went two up.

Tom Bennett dallied on the ball inside the box, Mooney latched onto it and drove in a cross that hit Davies, who spun quickly and shot home under keeper John Danby for his fourth goal of the season.

Davies had another opening before the break when the U's broke quickly down the right and Hackett put him clear.

This time Danby got his fingers to low drive to divert it beyond the far post.

Kidderminster, having been given a rollicking, no doubt, at half-time, gave it a real go in the second half.

But Tardif reached back to save a Birch header and Jon Ashton cleared for a corner when under pressure inside his own six-yard box.

On the break, the U's looked very capable of adding to their score, with Quinn working hard and Robinson breaking forward effectively.

But in the 65th minute Harriers were handed a lifeline by an Ashton own goal, and United were on the back foot from then on.

From a free-kick by Bennett, Ashton turned Simon Russell's header across goal into his own net.

Jamie Brooks replaced a tiring Hackett and, after Corbo had been booked, Davies was also shown the yellow card for a reckless fall towards the keeper after miscontrolling a pass which put him clear.

Argentine Lucas Cominelli came on for his debut near the end but with the U's being put under strong pressure, he had few opportunities to show any attacking flair.

United had to dig deep to hang on, having earlier looked to be in control.

When Basham was brought down on the edge of the box, Mooney made it clear to Cominelli that he wanted to take the free-kick himself but curled it wide.

Basham, though, wrapped it up in the final minute of injury time.

Racing forward after a defender had slipped, he tried to round the keeper, who stuck out a foot to knock the ball away.

But 'Bash' retrieved it and drove home on the turn before defenders could get back.

Exactly 1,000 Oxford United fans, who had given their team great vocal backing, celebrated the team's third away win of the season after previous triumphs at Notts County and Chester.

And after a run of away draws, it was just what the doctor ordered.