One of the most welcome sights for United fans on Tuesday night was the return from injury of midfielder Paul McLaren.

The former Tranmere player has been sidelined by a calf injury which saw him miss out on the U’s pre-season and he showed how important he is to United with a super display in the engine room in the 2-0 win against the Shrews.

“It was an enjoyable evening, to be honest, getting back in the side tonight,” said McLaren.

“I have done a lot of work on the fitness side of things, so it was great to be involved and to get that the first win.”

McLaren said the injury had completely cleared up.

“I didn’t feel it at all (on Tuesday) and I’ve not felt it for a week or so. I’ve done a lot of fitness work to build it up.”

Meanwhile, McLaren said the victory had meant the Oxford camp was a happy place to be.

He said: “We played well against Bradford on Saturday and should have got a result.

“But it’s always nice to get that first win of the season, so everyone is delighted in the dressing room.

“The gaffer said they (Shrewsbury) would be up there at the end of the season, they’re a decent side, so it was a good win for us and I thought we were comfortable towards the end of the game.

“ It was a cracking atmosphere, the fans are unbelievable here.”

He added: “We’ll set our sights for Sunday now. The lads are looking forward to it and hopefully we can send the fans home happy.”