Wycombe 2 Oxford United 1.

STEFAN Oakes fired Wanderers through to the FA Cup second round just as Oxford United thought they had snatched a replay.

He struck just 30 seconds after United substitute Gavin Johnson looked to have earned the Conference a side a replay with a stunning free kick.

But, straight from the restart, Kevin Betsy hared down the right wing, crossed to the back post where Oakes took the ball down before ramming home the winner.

Boss Paul Lambert said: "It was a terrific goal from a terrific player. He has got a terrific left foot."

It was a dramatic end to a dramatic cup tie as Wycombe, the Carling Cup quarter-finalists, went head to head with the unbeaten Conference leaders.

And such was the demand for supporters to see the game that some fans had to pass an entrance exam to get into the ground.

After Oxford had sold out their allocation, supporters who were not recognised by the turnstile operators were asked questions about Wycombe, to make sure that Oxford fans did not get into the home end.

But that still did not prevent some angry scenes at the end as Oxford supporters who had gained access to the paddock alongside the tunnel clashed with Wanderers' substitutes.

The police moved in as the substitutes and fans became involved in an ugly shoving match.

It was high-octane stuff from the start and typical local derby fare as Oxford - a League Club up until last year, sensed an upset.

And they would have been given huge encouragement when they saw the Wycombe team sheet.

Twelve-goal top scorer Jermaine Easter was suspended. On-loan keeper Ricardo Batista, the Portugal U21 shot stopper was not given permission to play by his parent club Fulham.

The same fate hit Blues' other two loanees with Reading and Aston Villa both declaring that their men Scott Golbourne and Steve O'Halloran could not play either.

But despite the setback, it was Wycombe who began on top.

They struck the bar after just nine minutes when Oakes' 20 yard free kick left United keeper Billy Turley clutching at thin air.

Wanderers continued to create the better chances but failed to take them. Russell Martin and former Oxford man Tommy Mooney could only head straight into the arms of Turley when well placed and it was the visitors who finished the half on top.

Chris Willmott's volley from the edge of the area produced the save of the half from James Young and from the resultant corner Blues defender Will Antwi cleared the ball off the line.

Antwi had cut a forlorn figure last week as he missed Tueday's Carling Cup last-16 win at Notts County through suspension but he was all-smiles on 58 minutes as he came up from the back to fire Wanderers into the lead.

The Blues played a short corner to the edge of the box and when Oakes slid the ball into the area, Antwi neatly readjusted his body to sidefoot home.

Antwi was loving it and the big defender who had only scored once before might have finished with a hat-trick as twice he had the opportunity to finish the tie off.

He lashed the ball over the top from another Oakes corner and then found himself upfield again to sidefoot a volley wide of the far post after ghosting past the defence.

At the other end of the field, Antwi was rock solid as the Chairboys hardly gave their visitors a sight of Jamie Young's goal.

They looked to be holding on for a comfortable if slender victory until Johnson turned the tie on its head with his skimming free kick which flew past Young and into the back of the net off the foot of the post.

The Oxford fans massed behind the goal went berserk and most were still celebrating when Oakes stuck the ball into the net to hand Wanderers a second round tie away at Stockport County.

Lambert said: "The lads have raised the bar again. We had five guys who could not play today but they have still come through. When you get drawn against a so-called smaller side there is nothing to gain. There was a lot of pressure on the lads today because if Oxford had beaten us it would have been treated as a shock but they handled it really well."

Wycombe: Young, Stockley, Antwi, Williamson, Martin, Palmer, Grant (Gregory 64), Bloomfield, Oakes, Mooney (Dixon 89), Betsy. Subs Not Used: Christon, Cadmore, Anya.

Booked: Antwi, Grant.

Goals: Antwi 58, Oakes 86.

Oxford: Turley, Anaclet (Dempster 88), Willmott, Gilchrist, Brevett (Day 83), Quinn, Hargreaves, Pettefer, Hutchinson (Johnson 57), Basham, Odubade. Subs Not Used: Tardif, Kennet.

Booked: Brevett.

Goals: Johnson 85.

Attendance: 6,279 (Oxford 1,835) Referee: S Mathieson (Cheshire).