Eastbourne Boro 0, Oxford Utd 3 (Murray 44, Clist 71, Farrell 90) Adam Murray scored direct from a corner as Oxford United got their play-off charge back on track.

In a game horribly affected by a gale-force wind, Murray used it to his advantage by curling home a flag-kick just before half-time.

Simon Clist grabbed his first Oxford goal in the 71st minute to seal the three points, and Craig Farrell put the icing on the cake in the last minute with a super finish from a very difficult angle, from Clist's pass..

It was just what boss Chris Wilder was looking for as United bounced back from their home defeat by Torquay on Saturday.

The players had to show a lot of character, and commitment, especially in the second half on a wild March night on the south coast.

Billy Turley made an outstanding save ten minutes after the break from Paul Armstrong's driven 30-yard free-kick, managing to push it over the bar even though it had moved considerably through the air.

A second one followed moments later from Matt Crabb's fierce angled shot.

Murray's wind-assisted goal came in the 44th minute, and the U's skipper knew exactly what he was doing.

The midfielder had tried to do it a couple of times before, and wasn't far away.

And when, just before half-time, he set his sights again, using the 40-mile an hour westerly to put extra pressure on Lee Hook's goal, he looped the ball up, and it picked up pace with the wind to leave Hook helpless.

Playing in all yellow, United played with the wind behind them in the first half.

When they won their first corner, in the eighth minute, Murray curled it in using the wind, and it looked as though it might go in until the ref blew up, spotting an infringement.

Lewis Haldane sprinted down the left flank, but couldn't find a decent pass at the end of it.

Chris Carruthers saw plenty of ther ball in the first 20 minutes and when Yemi Odubade, recalled to the starting line-up, had his first sight of a run down the right, he did well to win the ball back after initially losing it.

Damian Batt tried to finish off the move by chipping the ball into the box, but the wind took it as though it was a balloon, and it cleared the bar by five yards.

Eastbourne's first real effort on goal, in the 21st minute, almost brought them an opening goal.

Chris Willmott had to concede a corner, and from the flag-kick, Borough centre half Marc Pullan powered in a far-post header, which brought a good reaction save from Billy Turley.

Batt was replaced midway through the first half by Eddie Hutchinson, with Adam Chapman moving to right back.

The strong wind was whipping off the sea and swirling around the Priory Lane ground where the Eastbourne and Oxford fans often mixed, because there was no segregation.

It was having such an effect on procedings that simple passes became shots on target, and attempted drives at the other end barely reached the keeper.

And so, on 29 minutes, when Murray took another corner, he aimed it for 30 yards to his right and then saw the gale take the ball, boomerang-like, to just under the bar, with 22 players wondering where on earth it would come down.

James Constable got away with what seemed a very robust challenge on Matt Crabb, sending the Eastburne player flying over ther touchline and virtually into the advertising hoarding. Surprisingly, the ref chose not to penalise it.

Chapman hit a superb 45-yard free-kick. It seemed too far out to even bother shooting, but it whistled narrowly over the bar with goalkeeper Lee Hook having dived full-length, thinking it was possily going in.

Luke Foster had to go off in first-half stoppage time, with blood covering his face and down his shirt.

Eastbourne stepped up the pressure in the second half and Turley had to be at his best to keep United on top.

Kevin Sandwith took over from Carruthers at left back on the hour, and within minutes he just got the faintest of glances with his head to put off Paul Armstrong as he volleyed over the bar after running in from the right.

The driving rain intensified in the second half just before Clist finished off a flowing move from the visitors.

Odubade and Constable were involved in the build-up, Murray threaded the ball through the inside left channel, and Clist slotted left-footed, past Hook and just inside the right post from a tight angle.

But it was nothing compared to the angle Farrell squuezed the ball in, from almost on the right bye-line, following Clist's pass.

And that came just after Constable had smashed a shot against the bar.

The game featured that rarity of events in the Blue Square Premier . . . a good refereeing performance. Just one booking, late on, and taking into account the very difficult conditions, Stuart Burt had a decent game.