Oxford United put their turbulent week off the field behind them to register a 3-1 victory at Walsall this weekend.

The result moved them on to 52 points, nine clear of the bottom four and surely to safety. Mathematically they can still go down, but it's highly unlikely as they've hit a real run of form.

In defeating the Saddlers, they also cost Dean Keates his job, with the home side sacking the former Wrexham boss shortly after the defeat which leaves them in the bottom four.

Oxford have struggled for much of the season, but they've found themselves climbing the table after a string of good results.

Defender Rob Dickie gave them and early lead and despite being pegged back not long after, Luke Garbutt and Jerome Sinclair sealed the points, the latter's goal coming five minutes into injury time.

They're now looking down from relative safety, able to plan for next season. If they can shrug off the spectre of being wound up by their former owner, they might have a decent future in League One.

Here's three things we learnt from the encounter.

Football comprises of fine margins

Deep into injury time, Walsall's Morgan Ferrier had a golden chance to make it 2-2. He fluffed his lines and within seconds, Oxford went up the other end and sealed the victory.

Would Keates still have been sacked? Would Oxford have still be looking over their shoulder?

The whole fate of a club can change in a second.

The Oxford squad are fully invested in their survival fight

As the third goal hit the back of the net, Ahmed Keshi came charging onto the pitch to celebrate with his teammates in an outpouring of delight. It showed that even the loan players feel the desire for the club.

Sadly, Keshi had been booked before being taken off and that action earned him a second yellow, but that instinctive reaction proved that these players are fully invested in each other.

They've got the fight needed to stay in the division

Oxford went down to ten men before Keshi's dismissal, Marcus Browne sent off for a studs up challenge on Zeli Ismael, but they kept it tight and fought hard afterwards.

You find a lot out about players in the heat of a relegation battle and Karl Robinson will have learnt that his are a tough bunch, even if they've not shown it throughout the season.

If they stay up, they won't be in the relegation fight next year.