GREG Leigh had a birthday to remember as his brace helped Oxford United claim all three points at fellow high-flyers Stevenage.

Jamie Reid gave Stevenage the lead after 15 minutes when he rounded off a smart counter-attack, however Leigh tapped home an equaliser eight minutes later when he pounced in the six-yard box.

Leigh then edged United in front 10 minutes into the second half with a super effort inside the area, before Elliott Moore wrapped up the points with a stooping header.

Liam Manning made just the three changes from the side which won 3-0 at home to Exeter City, although the most eyebrow-raising aspect was how his team lined up.

Leigh, Fin Stevens and Tyler Goodrham came in for Jordan Thorniley, Stanley Mills and Kyle Edwards, the latter unavailable due to a minor injury.

It meant the U’s changed shape, switching to a 3-4-2-1 with Sam Long, Moore and Ciaron Brown in a three-man defence, and Stevens and Leigh playing as wing backs.

Cameron Brannagan and Marcus McGuane sat in front of the defence, as Goodrham and Ruben Rodrigues slotted in behind Billy Bodin.

The first sight of goal came with five minutes on the clock, when Brannagan swung in a free kick from the right wing and Leigh came inches away from making a connection with his head.

At the other end, Moore produced an outstanding goal line clearance to get back behind the line and force the ball over his own crossbar following a Boro corner.

The hosts then took the lead after quarter of an hour, as danger man Reid rounded off a swift counter-attack.

Former U’s forward Kane Hemmings showed a turn of pace to chase down a loose ball down the right-hand side, and then showed a level of composure to slide the ball across the box for Reid to tap home.

Stevens then came in at the back post and headed over a Leigh cross, before Rodrigues glanced a header wide at the near post from a Brannagan corner.

United found an equaliser though, eight minutes after going behind, through Leigh.

Bodin did well to get in between two home defenders and force a header onto the bar, with Leigh reacting quickest to touch the loose ball home from a matter of yards.

That goal saw the game balance out again, after the hosts had marginally edged proceedings.

With just over 10 minutes to go until the break, Brannagan fired a 20-yard free kick into the wall, while the rebound produced the same result.

Moore then looped a header over from a Brannagan corner in the closing stages of the first half, before the U’s skipper then picked up a booking in stoppage time for a foul on the Boro left.

The free kick came to nothing though as the sides entered the interval on level terms.

Two minutes into the second period, Bodin was presented with a golden opportunity after capitalising on a mistake from Dan Sweeney.

However, United’s No 10 placed the ball wide when through on goal and one-on-one with Krisztian Hegyi.

Jordan Roberts then cut inside from the right and flashed a stinging shot wide from 25 yards, although the effort never looked like it was truly going to trouble James Beadle in the U’s goal.

Moments after Bodin had a penalty appeal turned down, United edged in front.

A cross from the right-hand side wasn’t effectively dealt with by the hosts, and after Goodrham had a bite at the cherry, the ball fell to Leigh at the back of the queue in the penalty area.

The 29-year-old swivelled on the spot and smashed a rising, left-footed strike into the roof of the net, leaving Hegyi with no chance.

The goal put the U’s on top in the game, enjoying greater possession of the ball in the Boro half.

Bodin flicked a header over at the near post, although Carl Piergianni did force a stop out of Beadle from a corner at the other end of the pitch.

With just over 20 minutes to go, the home side made a quadruple change and it swung the momentum back in their favour.

Elliott List, on as a substitute for Nick Freeman, brought a smart, low stop out of Beadle with an arrowed strike, as the hosts bombarded the United box with a series of crosses and high balls.

The U’s needed fresh legs, and that’s exactly what Manning rectified as he introduced Josh Murphy and the fit again Gatlin O’Donkor in place of Goodrham and Bodin.

Murphy had an immediate impact, doing brilliantly down the right-hand side from a short corner, before picking out Moore to stoop low and head in and give United a two-goal advantage from inside the six-yard box.

Stevenage (5-3-2): Hegyi; James-Wildin, Sweeney, Nathan Thompson (Louis Thompson 69), Piergianni (Vancooten 69), Butler; Freeman (List 69), Roberts, Burns (Ben Thompson 88); Reid, Hemmings (Pressley 69).

Unused subs: Ashby-Hammond, MacDonald.

Booked: Butler.

Oxford United (3-4-2-1): Beadle; Long, Moore, Brown; Stevens, McGuane, Brannagan, Leigh; Rodrigues (McEachran 90), Goodrham (Murphy 78); Bodin (O’Donkor 78).

Unused subs: Eastwood, Negru, Thorniley, Mills.

Booked: Moore, Beadle.

Referee: Carl Brook (Sussex).

Attendance: 5,512 (1,386 away).