IF Wanderers succeed in their Championship chase they might well look at this night as the one that made all the difference.

Wanderers opened up a four-point gap in second place, and made history by scoring four goals in three consecutive away games for the first time ever.

An arduous midweek journey against a play-off hopeful, three points that remained in doubt right into the 94th minute.

Filipe Morais and Mark Beevers gave the Whites a 2-0 lead and what should have been an unassailable position in the game. But to Oxford’s credit they battled back first through Kane Hemmings and then Chris Maguire.

And though Wanderers added a third thanks to Chey Dunkley’s own goal it wasn’t until Josh Vela surged through the middle in the 94th minute that the points really felt safe.

Wanderers could hardly have wished for a better start as they continued their forward momentum from the last few games. The left flank was one of the few places on the Kassam pitch with decent grass coverage and it was from that area of the field the Whites chose to piece together a perfectly-orchestrated move involving Darren Pratley and Josh Vela.

The latter’s cross should have been directed into the back of the net by Gary Madine, who had climbed well above his marker, but as Simon Eastwood palmed away his header one-handed, Morais was in the right spot to bury the ball into the net. Going a goal up inside three minutes was a test of Wanderers’ mentality. Would they sit in and defend their lead, or go for more?

Oxford briefly threatened an equaliser, ex-Whites winger Rob Hall curling one effort a foot wide of the post but just as they threatened to build some momentum came another thunderbolt from the blue.

Le Fondre jumped to win Wheater’s long ball from the back but clashed heads with centre-half Dunkley. Ref Ross Joyce deemed, somewhat harshly, that it had been a foul.

As the Wanderers player walked off rubbing his head to a chorus of boos, he looked up just in time to see Morais curl his free kick over the wall and bring another top save out of Eastwood.

Once again, a Bolton shirt was first to the ball and Beevers side-footed home his third goal of the season.

Ten minutes and no shortage of abuse later, Le Fondre was forced off the pitch with what appeared like the after-effects of his bang on the head and replaced by Chris Long.

Oxford had plenty of the ball in midfield as the half drew to a close but were running low on ideas in the final third. But with three minutes left, one poor decision from keeper Alnwick gave them a window back into the game.

Pratley had conceded possession, and Hall dug out a decent cross from the right.

Alnwick stepped out of goal to collect but was left stranded when ex-Bury full-back Joe Skarz headed back towards goal, his effort glancing the bar and then bouncing off Wheater before being bundled in by Kane Hemmings.

Suddenly the Us, who had been devoid of ideas to that point, surged forward in search of an equaliser.

Wheater made one excellent block to deny Marvin Johnson and Alnwick had another nervous moment as he spilled a low shot and had to snatch it away from the advancing Hemmings.

Long settled the nerves with a couple of rasping shots which forced Eastwood into action.

The young striker can generate incredible power with his right foot and nearly caught the Oxford keeper by surprise with one effort on the turn from the edge of the box. Tension was high and the nerves certainly spread to home centre-half Dunkley.

His poor back-pass put his team under pressure and after Morais looped in a long throw, flicked on by Beevers, Dunkley ended up inadvertently heading the ball into his own net under heavy pressure from Gary Madine. Any thoughts that the misfortune would break the home side’s resolve were quickly dispelled, however, as Johnson’s thunderbolt from 35 yards bounced off the inside of the post with Alnwick completely beaten.

Moments later Oxford earned a free kick right on the edge of the box and Maguire – a one-time target for Wanderers in his Rotherham days – blasted the ball into the top corner to set up a grandstand finish.

Long continued on a one-man mission to score a fourth for the Whites.

He got behind Oxford full-back Edwards on three occasions in the last 20 minutes only to be denied at the near post by keeper Eastwood.

With a Wembley final on the horizon there was no hint of let-up from the men in yellow and they continued to pour forward in search of an equaliser.

But deep into stoppage time Madine and Long produced moments of pure quality to send Vela through for a winner celebrated in some style in front of the 500 travelling supporters.