Oxford United's players showed their backing for boss Darren Patterson by delivering on the pitch last night – and it may just have saved his skin and prove to be the turning point in the season.

The two attacking players who hadn't really done it in front of goal – Jamie Guy and Lewis Haldane – both found the net for the first time as the U's beat Cambridge United 3-1 at the Kassam Stadium to end their Setanta hoodoo.

The first person Guy went to celebrate with after his fourth-minute goal was Patterson himself, demonstrating his respect for the manager, who has come under heavy fire from fans following the team's poor start to the campaign.

And afterwards the striker insisted that Patto had the backing of all the players.

"It was a great night and a great win, against a team that's going to be up and around there all season," Guy said. "Hopefully we can kick on now and get a nice run going.

"My goal celebration was a massive show of support for the manager. He can only put the 11 out, and we haven't been performing for him. That one's for the gaffer.

"We're all 100 per cent behind him. He's showed faith in us. It's down to us as much as it is to him."

It was a rare Tuesday night of joy for United and their fans, and Guy said the home crowd had helped them to victory by getting behind the team "magnificently", just as they had against Crawley.

"I think we'll give that win to the fans because they've been absolutely great over the week, last Saturday as well, and they deserved that.

"It's a great feeling to go in at the end of the game and experience such a happy, happy dressing room.

"We haven't had this feeling many times this season, it was a great feeling . . . we've got to get used to that feeling and hopefully make it a regular event.

"I might have had a second goal, the defender did really well to get across and get a block in, but it shows I'm getting in the positions now.

"I've come through 90 minutes tonight after a few injuries. I felt very fit and strong and now hopefully I can start scoring regularly again.

"I'd been working hard, but with the injuries and stuff, they'd gone against me a bit. I don't want to make excuses, but it had affected me."

United's success was typically not without further injury concerns as Phil Trainer, after looking back to his best and smashing the bar with a 40-yard drive, had to go off with a groin strain.

One way or the other, it had seemed that last night's game might be a defining moment in the 2008-9 season.

A third straight defeat and falling into the relegation zone might have made it hard for chairman Nick Merry to stick by his man.

But this was a special win and performance, and perhaps can be the moment Patterson's team start inexorably to climb the table.

Patterson said: "It was much needed. We're not getting carried away, it's only three points, but it was one we needed to do.

"Everyone's been a bit low and down-hearted about all the stuff that's been put in the press, and said, about the club financially and football-wise, which obviously isn't good enough, we're under no illusions about that.

"I'm very, very pleased for my players. They're an honest bunch, they now know what they've got to do to go that extra little bit.

"They weren't bullied tonight, individual battles all over the pitch were won and we created chances like we keep doing every game.

"A team that keeps making chances is not a side down this end of the table, so we've got to keep doing that and really kick on this Saturday.

"That's the first time I've put that side out, and remember, with that side we were playing like that in pre-season."