Matches between these two at the Kassam have been a treat for the spectators over the last couple of seasons. And this was to be no different. And for the third season in a row, the scoreline was the same.
The atmosphere was terrific as the match got underway, the loyal as ever Port Vale fans had come in their droves and were determined to make themselves heard.
Alfie Potter had won it for the Yellows against first-place Gillingham on Tuesday, and the man of the moment put Oxford ahead with just ten minutes on the clock. A tame back pass from the Vale defender was latched onto by Potter, and he showed the composure to slot it past Neal.
Despite the pressure on Port Vale's goal after Potter had netted, Loft beautifully struck from 30 yards to leave Luke McCormick starstruck as the ball flew past him. The Vale fans were jubilant, and there were ripples of applause from some of the Oxford fans.
The rest of the half saw Oxford pressure but without the clinical edge; the story of their season so far.
Two minutes before the half time whistle, Chris Wilder substituted an out of sorts Adam Chapman. He was distraught to say the least, and remained on the bench through the interval, like a sulking teenager.
After the break it was much of the same. Port Vale didn't look like a team challenging for first place; the players were becoming frustrated, and even more so, the fans.
Oxford capitalised on this with some swift football. A corner fell to Andy Whing on the edge of the box, his pin-point pass to Deane Smalley was met with a first touch and a tidy shot through the keeper's legs. It was 2-1.
In an attempt to get back into the match, Vale threw on Lee Hughes. The threat was neutralised by an outstandingly dogged Andy Whing.
And with five minutes left, Liam Davis drew a penalty. Dean Rigg's failure to convert meant the final parts of the match were tense. But The Yellows held on, and made it two wins in two against League Two's high-flyers.
As I walked away from the ground, I looked around, and everyone seemed to have a smile on their face, and if we're going all soppy, there were elements of pathetic fallacy tonight as the sun shone throughout. I am very pleased.
We seem to be cracking these big teams' strategies. With the introduction of Dean Smalley up front, the big, strong forces the top teams possess have been countered by his pace. Knowing us though, we'll lose to Rotherham next Tuesday.
Attendance: 6,322
Man of the Match: Jake Wright - Another solid performance from a player who is surely League One quality.
Match Rating: ***** - Great atmosphere, great result.
Referee Rating: *** - Failed to see some sneaky Port Vale tackles, and gave yellow cards unnecessarily.
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