Oxford Utd 2, Swindon Tn 0 THERE really is no stopping Dean Windass at the moment.

After picking up the Nationwide Player of the Month award before kick-off, he destroyed United's deadliest rivals with two more goals which demonstrated his prowess as a master finisher.

Throwing off the shackles that go with being a team's main target man, Windass had a little more freedom and space in which to play, and he settled this Division 1 derby with his 17th and 18th goals of the season.

With 17 minutes gone, he cut in from the left and although there were teammates in the centre, it was clear Windass had only one thing on his mind - to shoot.

He tried to go past both centre backs Craig Taylor and Brian Borrows, beat the first but had his shirt pulled back by Borrows and tumbled to the ground.

Preston referee Phil Richards pointed to the spot and Windass, who has never missed a penalty in his career, blasted his kick to the right of Frank Talia - although the goalkeeper did get a hand on it - and into the net.

United fans in the London Road end behind that goal went delirious and for those who were fearing that Swindon might do the double over Oxford for the first time, the pressure was off. Windass had said before the game that, in his current mood, he felt capable of scoring every time he went out on the pitch, and he killed Swindon off with a goal from open play nine minutes from time.

Malcolm Shotton had brought on Andy Thomson and Matt Murphy for Jamie Cook and Kevin Francis, and Thomson's fresh legs did the trick.

Murphy worked wonders to win the ball with a good piece of skill, and from his pass, Thomson fired in a left-footed drive which Taila could only parry.

It fell perfectly for Windass, who applied a simple side-foot finish for his sixth goal in the last five games.

It might have looked an easy goal, but Windass had shown a predator's instinct by being in exactly the right place.

Yet this was by no means a one-man show. United's best players in a first half they always controlled, were central midfielders Paul Tait and Martin Gray. And over the whole game, defender Mark Watson was once again outstanding. That was more than could be said for a poor Swindon side, who were beaten every bit as comprehensively as were United when they crashed 4-1 at the County Ground last September.

Iffy Onuora had a shot blocked by the omnipresent Gray and saw then his header at a corner comfortably saved by Paul Gerrard.

But the only thing Swindon offered by way of a threat in the second half was a shot by Onuora which he blazed over from three yards after Gerrard dropped the ball following a hefty challenge by George Ndah. In any case, the ref gave a free-kick for a foul on the keeper.

Joey Beauchamp's spritely running and some good play by Paul Powell frequently put Town on the back foot and United should have scored more than just one in the first half.

Francis shot wide after turning neatly to control a Christophe Remy pass, while Tait, similarly through on goal, saw his shot well-saved.

The second half was, Windass's goal apart, hugely disappointing.

It wasn't the best of derby games, with play often bitty, but for Shotton, his players and especially the Oxford supporters, it was the result they wanted.

Story date: Monday 15 February

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