Kidderminster Harriers produced their most satisfying result of the season as they beat second-placed Mansfield Town.
Harriers took an early lead when Brian Smikle fed Matt Barnes-Homer to fire home from just outside the area.
The home side doubled their lead barely a minute after the break, Gavin Caines heading home Darryl Knights' corner.
Chris McPhee made the points safe on 68 minutes but, after Barnes-Homer missed a penalty, Mansfield's Rob Duffy showed him how it was done from the spot.
Mansfield started the night with the incentive of knowing that a good victory would have taken them top if Oxford had lost. But, instead, they wasted a chance to keep the pressure on as they slipped to just their second reversal of the season.
David Holdsworth's men were rarely allowed to show any of the form that has seen them win five games so far this season.
Harriers were evidently smarting from Saturday's home defeat to Eastbourne early on and set about trying to put that right.
Scott Garner could have put the Stags ahead but failed to find the target with a close-range header. And he was made to pay a minute later when, from Smikle's nod-down, Barnes-Homer lashed home a volley from the edge of the box for his third goal of the season.
With chances limited, Barnes-Homer was particularly wasteful moments before the break, heading wide, unopposed, from six yards.
But it mattered little when Caines looped home his first goal for the club straight after the restart.
McPhee put the game to bed when he latched onto a pass from the outstanding Smikle to leave Marriott with no chance.
Barnes-Homer wasted a chance to add a fourth, hitting his 82nd-minute penalty straight at Marriott after Luke Jones had been penalised for handball.
But, when Harriers were also penalised for handled in the box, left-back Lee Baker the culprit, Duffy slotted home the Stags' consolation spotkick.
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