Oxford City Stars gave their English National League Southern Division play-off challenge a massive boost with a 4-2 win over Invicta Dynamos at Oxford Ice Rink.

Having been beaten 4-1 by the section winners a week earlier, Oxford were desperate for revenge.

And, despite being without Slovakian Lukas Szabo, Aidy Haigh, Alan Green, Luke Plasted, Chris Eames and Easy Chalmers, they rose to the occasion.

With the backing of a boisterous crowd, Oxford opened the scoring after two minutes when Paul Donahoe released captain Darren Elliott to beat the Invicta netminder in a one-on-one situation.

The Gillingham-based visitors conceded a series of minor penalties, but Oxford were unable to make their powerplays count until Patrick Knightley outfoxed the Invicta goalie with a low shot to make it 2-0.

Three minutes into the second period, Stars top-scorer Dean Francis stunned Invicta when he scored after good work by Jacob Smith.

And despite then being on the wrong end of a powerplay, Oxford went further ahead when Smith's effort clattered off a Dynamos defenceman's skate into the net.

Invicta had a goal ruled out, and then import Jordy Black lashed out at Oxford's Ben Moody as the young defenceman went off for a line change, leaving him in a heap on the ice.

However, none of the officials saw the incident and it went unpunished.

Dynamos finally opened their account when Grant Baxter picked up a stray clearance under pressure from an Oxford defenceman, before finishing well.

Francis was unlucky to have a goal chalked off, before Black scored a great solo effort for Invicta to complete the scoring.