For five short but glorious minutes, Shrewsbury Town dared believe it would be their day.

But after a 14-year-wait to return to the third tier of English football, Town supporters won’t grumble at having to wait a further three weeks if Old Trafford proves their Theatre of Dreams on May 28.

Yes, the play-offs – where elation and despair can be separated by the width of a cigarette paper – are back on the Shrewsbury radar for the third time in five seasons.

There is no doubt Town would dearly love to have the reached the Holy Grail of League One at the end of the 46-game slog.

And, at one stage on Saturday – when news filtered through of a shock early Southend lead at Wycombe – it looked like they might yet avoid finishing one agonising point short.

But opportunity still knocks for Graham Turner’s side to write their names into club folklore.

Having fallen at the final hurdle in two previous play-off campaigns, Town will be acutely aware they must prepare for all eventualities as their season moves into overtime.

One glance at the form guide, however, ensures they should head to Torquay next Saturday brimming with confidence.

Shrewsbury were well beaten at Plainmoor last month and there is sure to be plenty of attention over Jake Robinson’s potential contribution against his parent club.

But the triumph over Oxford was Town’s seventh victory in a nine game sequence which also includes a draw.

And the fact they have finished ahead of all three of their three play-off rivals with a points tally — 79 — which would have been sufficient for automatic promotion in four of the last six seasons should also provide encouragement.

Alas that inspirational conclusion to the campaign wasn’t to be enough for Town as the final weekend of their regular season served up a surreal cocktail of pride and disappointment.

Events at Adams Park provided the disappointment to ensure what began as a throbbing Greenhous Meadow atmosphere had fallen just a little flat by full-time.

For the second successive week, Wycombe raised Town hopes by conceding an early goal only — in an exact replica of the turnaround at Bury seven days previously – to respond with three of their own.

But Shrewsbury should take no shortage of pride from upholding their side of the bargain by delivering an emphatic home victory in front of a record breaking crowd at what has now been their home for four seasons.

Yes, there were signs of nerves in a tight, tense first half which offered little in the way of goalmouth action, inevitably so given the prize at stake.

But the edginess evaporated during the second period with a more fluid attacking approach – aided by the half-time arrival of the excellent Matt Harrold – yielding its reward with a trio of goals.

Harrold was to provide the assist for all three, starting with a 53rd minute strike from Mark Wright which crept in at the near post of Oxford goalkeeper Ryan Clarke.

David Davis and Lionel Ainsworth then produced classy finishes in the closing 13 minutes after more excellent work from Harrold to dot the I’s and cross the T’s on the success.

Harrold should have got on the scoresheet himself, only to blaze a good opening over from 15 yards, while a deflected 20 yard effort from Nicky Wroe clipped the bar.

There was also plenty of encouragement at the other end, where a fifth successive clean sheet was only genuinely threatened in the closing 20 minutes, most notably when full back Damian Batt somehow fired wide from eight yards.

By that stage, Wycombe had secured the result which rendered Shrewsbury’s victory meaningless and the decision of the now infamous Richard Wigglesworth to award Wycombe’s ‘phantom goal’ was thrown firmly back into the spotlight.

Town will understandably harbour a burning sense of injustice at that decisive March moment which has proved so costly in the final reckoning.

This is, however, no time to dwell on what might have been.

It’s the play-offs again, but don’t rule out Town making it third time lucky.

Match analysis by JAMES GARRISON