Michael Appleton felt Oxford United produced arguably their best performance since he took over as manager to claim a 1-0 win at Bury.
The hosts had the better of a tight affair until defender Adam El-Abd was sent off in the 65th minute, and four minutes later Danny Hylton's penalty was saved by Bury keeper Nick Pope.But Callum O'Dowda, who replaced Alex MacDonald at half-time after he nearly got sent off, struck on 85 minutes to send the U's eight points clear of the Sky Bet League 2 drop zone.
"It was probably our biggest win since I've been here - certainly in the manner in which we did it," said Appleton.
"The lads kept their discipline. The shape and the organisation of the team was very good.
"It was a big test, up against a form team, so to come to their own patch and keep another clean sheet, we're delighted.
"It took a lot of guts and determination not to let the penalty miss affect them, and it was a fantastic finish by Callum, very composed, against a very good keeper.
"He was outstanding for them, as was Ryan Clarke for us. He made two fantastic saves at the right time."