A beaming Chris Wilder could not hide his delight after seeing summer signing Deane Smalley get off the mark at Aldershot.

The striker scored a superbly taken second goal as United booked their place in the quarter-finals of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy Southern Section with a 2-1 win at Aldershot.

Rob Hall fired Oxford ahead four minutes after half-time, and three minutes later Smalley doubled the lead with his first goal for the club.

And Wilder says that although the striker has taken his time to find his feet at United, he is convinced that it will be the start of better things.

“It has taken Deane a while, but we are all obviously delighted for him to get the goal,” Wilder said.

“I back my judgement over bringing him here, and am sure that he will go on and become a very good player.

“It’s just a shame there weren’t 8,000 people here to see it.”

The attendance was just 1,429.

United’s manager made five changes from the side that beat Hereford at the weekend, and was full of praise for his new-look team.

“Sometimes it’s difficult for players in games like this because there isn’t the atmosphere,” he said.

“I had a bit of a pop at them at half-time because I thought we were almost playing at half-tilt, but I got the reaction in the second half.

“Some of the stuff we played was superb and I thought we fully deserved the win.”

The quarter-final draw is October 8.