Oxford leapfrogged Macclesfield in the table as goals from Simon Heslop and James Constable fired Chris Wilder's men to their third straight win.
In front of 9,440, their best gate this season, Heslop drilled in a right-foot shot after good work by Constable and Steve MacLean for a 17th-minute opener.
Heslop's shot then fell kindly for top scorer Constable to smash home his 10th goal of the season on 70 minutes.
Substitute Ricky Sappleton pulled one back from close range.
The Silkmen were always a threat, Colin Daniel having an 18-yard effort saved before Tyrone Barnett headed over and Constable cleared off his own line at the start of the second half.
But, after Constable made it 2-0, further Oxford goals might have followed but for Jose Veiga saving from Asa Hall and MacLean before Sappleton set up a tense finale with his tidy finish eight minutes from time.
Oxford climb to 11th in League Two, just four points off the play-off places.
Live text and stats
Tuesday, 28 December 2010
Npower League Two
Home Team
Score
Away Team
Time
Oxford Utd
2-1
Macclesfield
FT
(HT 1-0)
Heslop 17
Constable 70
Sappleton 82
Oxford Utd
01 Clarke
02 Batt
18 Kinniburgh (Tonkin 84)
22 Worley
30 Futcher yellow card
08 Heslop
11 Clist
28 Payne (Hall 58)
09 Constable
15 Potter (Wright 89)
32 MacLean
Substitutes
21 Eastwood,
03 Tonkin,
06 Wright,
23 Purkiss,
14 Hall,
10 Midson,
24 Green
Macclesfield
01 Veiga
05 Brown
06 Morgan
14 Nsiala yellow card (Sappleton 73)
02 Reid
04 Bencherif (Hamshaw 73)
07 Chalmers
11 Daniel
15 Bolland yellow card
21 Butcher
23 Barnett
Substitutes
13 Cudworth,
19 Lowe,
08 Draper,
17 Wedgbury,
20 Hamshaw,
10 Sappleton,
24 Mukendi
Ref: LewisAtt: 9,440
OXFORD UTD
MACCLESFIELD
Possession
Oxford Utd54%
Macclesfield46%
Attempts on target
Oxford Utd4
Macclesfield2
Attempts off target
Oxford Utd7
Macclesfield3
Corners
Oxford Utd2
Macclesfield7
Fouls
Oxford Utd8
Macclesfield12
Final Result
Full Time
90:00+4:23 The referee ends the match.
90:00+2:57 Booking Ben Futcher is shown a yellow card.
90:00+1:14 James Constable fouled by Paul Bolland, the ref awards a free kick. Free kick taken by Anthony Tonkin.
90:00+1:14 Booking Paul Bolland shown a yellow card.
89:10 Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Steven MacLean by Paul Morgan. Steven MacLean takes the free kick.
88:15 Substitution Alfie Potter leaves the field to be replaced by Jake Wright.
85:24 Lewis Chalmers takes a inswinging corner from the left by-line played to the near post, Alfie Potter makes a clearance.
81:51 Substitution Stevie Kinniburgh leaves the field to be replaced by Anthony Tonkin.
81:51 GOAL - Reneil Sappleton:Oxford Utd 2 - 1 Macclesfield Goal scored by Reneil Sappleton from close in to the top right corner of the goal. Oxford Utd 2-1 Macclesfield.
80:52 Paul Bolland sends in a cross. Corner taken by Lewis Chalmers, clearance by Stevie Kinniburgh.
78:54 Steven MacLean challenges Izak Reid unfairly and gives away a free kick. Jose Veiga restarts play with the free kick.
78:12 Paul Morgan challenges Steven MacLean unfairly and gives away a free kick. Simon Heslop restarts play with the free kick.
77:26 Asa Hall takes a shot. Save by Jose Veiga.
76:05 Unfair challenge on Matthew Hamshaw by Simon Clist results in a free kick. Direct free kick taken by Lewis Chalmers.
75:35 Steven MacLean fouled by Nathaniel Brown, the ref awards a free kick. Simon Heslop restarts play with the free kick.
Correction - 72:03 Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Damian Batt by Colin Daniel. Free kick taken by Ryan Clarke.
Correction - 72:03 Substitution Matthew Hamshaw replaces Hamza Bencherif.
Correction - 72:03 Substitution Aristote Nsiala goes off and Reneil Sappleton comes on.
72:03 Colin Daniel concedes a free kick for a foul on Damian Batt. Ryan Clarke restarts play with the free kick,
72:03 Substitution Matthew Hamshaw comes on in place of Hamza Bencherif.
72:03 Substitution (Macclesfield) makes a substitution, with Reneil Sappleton coming on for Aristote Nsiala.
69:10 The assist for the goal came from Simon Heslop.
69:10 GOAL - James Constable:Oxford Utd 2 - 0 Macclesfield James Constable grabs a goal from deep inside the penalty box high into the middle of the goal. Oxford Utd 2-0 Macclesfield.
66:21 Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Steven MacLean by Lewis Chalmers. Direct free kick taken by Ryan Clarke.
63:34 Tyrone Barnett is flagged offside by the assistant referee. Ryan Clarke takes the free kick.
61:00 Stevie Kinniburgh challenges Colin Daniel unfairly and gives away a free kick. Direct free kick taken by Lewis Chalmers.
59:29 Ben Futcher gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Richard Butcher. Direct free kick taken by Lewis Chalmers.
58:31 Paul Morgan concedes a free kick for a foul on James Constable. Simon Heslop takes the direct free kick.
57:58 Effort from the edge of the area by Richard Butcher goes wide of the right-hand post.
57:12 Substitution Asa Hall replaces Josh Payne.
53:31 Steven MacLean is caught offside. Izak Reid restarts play with the free kick.
51:33 Nathaniel Brown concedes a free kick for a foul on Steven MacLean. Shot on goal comes in from Steven MacLean from the free kick, save made by Jose Veiga.
48:24 Steven MacLean takes a shot. Nathaniel Brown gets a block in. Corner taken by Simon Heslop from the right by-line played to the near post.
46:01 Alfie Potter has an effort at goal from just inside the box that misses to the left of the target.
45:15 Corner taken by Lewis Chalmers from the left by-line played to the near post, clearance by James Constable.
45:01 The referee blows his whistle to start the second half.
Half Time
45:00+2:40 The players leave the pitch at half time.
45:00+2:07 Inswinging corner taken right-footed by Lewis Chalmers, save by Ryan Clarke.
45:00+0:47 Simon Clist gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Paul Bolland. Direct free kick taken by Lewis Chalmers.
44:17 James Constable has an effort at goal from the edge of the area that misses to the right of the target.
42:11 Simon Heslop crosses the ball, save by Jose Veiga.
38:55 Colin Daniel is caught offside. Ryan Clarke takes the free kick.
38:03 The assistant referee flags for offside against James Constable. Jose Veiga takes the free kick.
36:12 Centre by Richard Butcher, save made by Ryan Clarke.
34:12 The ball is sent over by Paul Bolland, Tyrone Barnett produces a header from inside the area that goes over the crossbar.
31:34 Colin Daniel delivers the ball.
28:36 Tyrone Barnett has an effort at goal from outside the box which goes wide right of the goal.
26:45 Unfair challenge on Colin Daniel by Ben Futcher results in a free kick. Free kick taken by Lewis Chalmers.
25:11 Colin Daniel takes a shot. Save made by Ryan Clarke.
23:45 Outswinging corner taken by Lewis Chalmers.
22:57 Shot from outside the box by Josh Payne misses to the left of the goal.
21:27 Simon Heslop has an effort at goal from deep inside the area missing to the left of the goal.
20:21 Corner taken right-footed by Simon Heslop from the left by-line, Lewis Chalmers makes a clearance.
18:28 Inswinging corner taken by Lewis Chalmers.
16:40 The assist for the goal came from Steven MacLean.
16:40 GOAL - Simon Heslop:Oxford Utd 1 - 0 Macclesfield Simon Heslop grabs a goal from the edge of the penalty area to the bottom left corner of the goal. Oxford Utd 1-0 Macclesfield.
15:28 Foul by Steven MacLean on Jose Veiga, free kick awarded. Free kick taken by Jose Veiga.
13:36 Effort from the edge of the area by Simon Heslop goes wide of the right-hand post.
11:59 Aristote Nsiala concedes a free kick for a foul on James Constable. Direct free kick taken by Simon Clist.
11:59 Booking Aristote Nsiala receives a caution.
10:39 The assistant referee flags for offside against Steven MacLean. Lewis Chalmers restarts play with the free kick.
9:47 The referee blows for offside. Free kick taken by Ryan Clarke.
8:51 Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on James Constable by Aristote Nsiala. Ryan Clarke takes the free kick.
5:29 Effort on goal by James Constable from just outside the area goes harmlessly over the target.
4:45 Josh Payne fouled by Paul Bolland, the ref awards a free kick. Direct free kick taken by Ryan Clarke.
2:56 Tyrone Barnett challenges Harry Worley unfairly and gives away a free kick. Free kick taken by Ryan Clarke.
1:41 Outswinging corner taken right-footed by Lewis Chalmers from the right by-line, clearance made by James Constable.
0:54 James Constable challenges Izak Reid unfairly and gives away a free kick. Izak Reid takes the free kick.
0:00 The game kicks-off.
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