A LAST-MINUTE winner from a striker on loan clinched Crewe an important victory on their last visit to Oxford's Kassam Stadium.

Tall frontman Greg Pearson was one of a couple of astute loan signings by Steve Davis which helped push the Alex into the promotion hunt back in 2012.

Like Chesterfield's Jamie Lowry, Pearson wasn't wanted by his parent club but made a short-term contribution to the cause, although like industrious midfielder Lowry he was long gone by the time the champagne was uncorked in the Wembley dressing room on Sunday, May 27.

Pearson was on the comeback trail from an injury that had ruled him out at Burton during the first part of the season, but he looked sharp when he came off the bench and finished off some Nick Powell handiwork at close range to snatch a 1-0 win.

That completed a double over the Us that season and it was Crewe's fifth success since Davis had taken the reins off Dario Gradi the previous November.

After languishing as low as 18th in the League Two table a head of steam was being built up with wins like this and against other promotion contenders like Swindon and Cheltenham which would eventually see Davis' side slip into the play-off spots at the tail end of the campaign.

In all, from the turn of the year Crewe only lost three games and saw off Southend in the play-off semi-finals to book a joyous visit to Wembley.

Powell's extraordinary strike that helped set up a 2-0 win against Cheltenham and a return to the third tier after a three-year absence will be long remembered. The contribution of Pearson, a journeyman striker who was later to drop back onto the non-league circuit, less so.

But his three-goal haul in nine games as well as an imposing presence up top proved a steadying influence as Shaun Miller struggled to reproduce previous goal-scoring form while teenage ace Powell was bringing all the flamboyance to the party.

Pearson was later recalled by Burton boss Gary Rowett, but left for Grimsby soon after. Now 35, he last played for Hinckley more than four years ago.

Powell's meteoric rise also saw him on the move in the summer of 2012, but to Manchester United for an fee rising way above the initial £3m. Injuries were to dog his time at Old Trafford, but the Crewe Academy starlet is still only 26 and his talent may yet shine beyond the Championship where his skills have thrilled Wigan and Stoke fans.

On that January day eight years ago Powell actually missed two juicy chances before setting up Pearson's winner. It left boss Davis hinting at Crewe's upward curve when he said: "Only Cheltenham have come here and got a result so I think we've shown our credentials and what we're capable of."

Oxford were managed by current Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder and were still sitting in the play-off berths, seven places ahead of Crewe, afterwards. They were eventually to miss out by two points as Crewe grabbed seventh spot.

Wilder lamented that his players had lost heart and belief and declared: "This is a big place for the opposition to come to and we are a scalp, we know that and we have to overcome that."

The Us didn't appear to for a while and were to miss out on promotion for the next three seasons before Michael Appleton was at the helm when a place in League One was eventually secured in 2016.

Oxford United 0, Crewe 1. January 14, 2012

Oxford: Clarke; Whing (McLaren), Wright, Batt, Duberry; Leven, Heslop (Tonkin), Davis, Pittman (Smalley, 72); Constable, Potter. Subs: Hall, Worley.

Crewe: Phillips; Davis, Artell, Dugdale, Tootle; Murphy, Shelley (Pearson), Westwood, Lowry; Moore, Powell. Subs: Martin, Turton, Mellor, Clayton.