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Chris Zebroski scored for the second successive home game as Oxford United secured second place in the Nationwide Conference and a home second leg in the play-off semi-finals.

Their third biggest gate of the season - more than 7,000 spectators - saw a comfortable win in the sunshine for Jim Smith's men.

An own goal on the hour from Wayne Daniel, after great work from Andy Burgess, sealed United's third double of the campaign.

And they should probably have gone on to score more goals as veteran striker Neil Grayson had to take over in the Stafford goal for the final 23 minutes because Robert Duggan was suffering badly from concussion.

A dazed Duggan was taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital, having been unable to remember anything about the game.

He sustained the injury on the half-hour when he punched out a long ball and landed awkwardly.

Zebroski gave the U's a 40th-minute lead - and it was no more than they deserved because they should have had a penalty seconds earlier.

Craig McAughtrie manhandled Martin Foster on the very edge of the box. The referee's assistant saw it and flagged, but signalled it was outside rather than a penalty, to the fury of United's players.

Barry Quinn then hit a weak free-kick which rebounded off the wall, and when Luke Foster drove in an angled shot from the right, Zebroski was in just the right position to touch it home in front of goal.

Jim Smith rested Yemi Odubade, Phil Gilchrist and Danny Rose, with Gilchrist and Rose precautionary because of injuries.

Burgess came back into the side at left wingback, with Luke Foster given a chance at right wingback, while leading scorer Rob Duffy returned up front.

Stafford had two early opportunities from free-kicks. McAughtrie wasn't put off by the fact that his free-kick was nearly 30 yards out, and hit a fierce drive that swerved in the air, but keeper Billy Turley got right behind it.

The visitors brought another important save from Turley when Ged Murphy struck a free-kick from a very tight angle.

Carl Pettefer curled a shot over from the edge of the area after cutting in from the right, and both Zebroski and Quinn went close from corners.

It then needed an excellent defensive tackle by Nathan Talbott to stop Duffy in his tracks as he shaped to shoot on the left side of the area.

United replaced Quinn at half-time after he had been booked, to avoid the risk of him getting a second yellow card.

Eddie Anaclet slotted in at right wingback, with defenders Luke Foster and Mickey Corcoran then shuffling one place to their left.

Luke Foster produced a vital defensive header at the start of the second half as Guy Madjo shaped to shoot, before United resumed their dominance.

Zebroski hit a skilful first-time shot on the run which Duggan saved, but the Stafford keeper, who by now was probably struggling to remember which team he was playing for, could do nothing when Daniel's own goal made it 2-0 in the 60th minute.

The visitors delayed making a substitution so that they could deal with a set-piece as Matt Day prepared to take a long throw-in.

The throw-in was headed back out to Burgess, and he left Richie Sutton with twisted blood by turning him inside and out before rifling a low cross across the goalmouth which flew into the net off Daniel's foot at the far post.

Without a sub keeper on the bench, Rangers put 42-year-old Grayson in goal, and Oxford's players must have fancied their chances of scoring a few more.

The home fans were lifted by the introduction of their player-of-the-year Odubade, who took over from Duffy and immediately injected lightning pace into United's attack.

However, Grayson saved a close-range shot from Zebroski, and later got down smartly to stop Odubade's low angled shot.

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