The troublesome players who have plagued soccer with increasing malevolence in recent years were shown up for the petty clowns they are by a simple, impromptu act by the referee Ivan Smith, at the end of Saturday’s game at the Manor Ground.

When Smith blew the final whistle he was standing in the centre circle - something to do with custom and practice - and then he walked half the length of the pitch to shake hands with the Oxford goalkeeper, Roy Burton.

In only his sixth League appearance of the season, Burton produced one of the most remarkable displays of goalkeeping it has been my good fortune to see for a considerable time and Smith must have enjoyed it as much. His was a simple move, but one that encapsulates so much.

It was Burton, and the uncanny positional play of his left back, John Shuker, who kept Aston Villa waiting until the 89th minute for their second away League win of the season.

Villa were tremendous. They outplayed Oxford throughout a match of incident and excitement, and, for the most part, Burton matched them.

When Chico Hamilton tore Jimmy Light to shreds, Burton was there; when Keith Leonard and Brian Little proved too much for Dave Robertson and a desperately slow Colin Clarke, Burton was there; when Little beat the goalkeeper to a Ray Graydon cross, Shuker was there to clear off the line.

It was like that for a long time. Oxford were hardly on the same pitch let alone the same class as Villa pushed forward with a delightful arrogance and a wealth of ability.

If there must be a criticism would be of their finishing power for Graydon, Leonard, Little, Bobby McDonald and Chris Nicholl should all have scored in the first half.

But, rather than point out tenuous weaknesses, I prefer to give credit to the acrobatic Burton who, on the the day, made Peter Stilton look like an apprentice.

The Villa defence had so little to do that Nicholl was able to spend much of his time foraging up field and it was partly because of this that Oxford were awaited a penalty in the 36th minute.

In one of Oxford’s rare attacks, Charlie Aitken, with no-one to help him, tapped Derek Clarke’s ankles and then pushed him in the back to make sure.

Jimmy Cumbes, with so much time on his hands probably revelling in Burton’s performance as much as the rest of us, had a chance for his own moment of glory and took it beautifully, diving to his left to punch away Derek Clarke’s spot kick and earn a quick burst of applause from his opposite number.

Four minutes later Little at last beat Burton to give Villa the lead they so richly deserved but just when the remainder of the game seemed a formality, Cumbes dropped a high Light centre and Derek Clarice pushed home the equaliser.

Oxford did not deserve to be level and Nicholl decided to do something about it.

He collected a Leonard throw-in with barely a minute remaining and, from outside the box, put a gentle but finely placed lob over the Oxford defence and wide of the unlucky Burton.