The U's Matchzone

Match Report: League One – Oxford United 3-0 Accrington Stanley

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Oxford United have moved to within a point off the playoffs after a comfortable 3-0 win against Accrington Stanley.

Matty Taylor netted another brace – taking his tally to 16 goals for the season – after James Henry opened the scoring in the first half to give the U’s the third win in succession.

Karl Robinson made two changes from the side that saw off promotion rivals Ipswich Town at the weekend with Sam Long, who was making his 50th league appearance, replaced the injured Anthony Forde at right-back, while George Thorne made his first league start, coming in for the injured Nathan Holland.

Simon Eastwood sat behind a back four of Josh Ruffels, Elliott Moore Rob Dickie and Long.

Cameron Brannagan, Thorne and Gorrin were the central three, with Marcus Browne and Henry out wide, while Taylor led the line.

Despite the final result, Stanley started more positively than the hosts with Jordan Clark testing the U’s defence with early crosses.

The winger then created another opportunity which eventually fell to Joey Pritchard, but his effort was expertly blocked by Long. Oxford then launched a counter-attack and Browne found Henry who fired home his 13th goal of the season.

Oxford looked for an immediate second. Taylor headed a Gorrin cross over before Browne was denied by Stanley goalkeeper Josef Bursik.

But the visitors, who had won three of the last four meetings against the U’s, continued to cause problems. Clark forced Eastwood into a superb save before Thorne blocked from Dion Charles’ rebound.

Five minutes before the break, Brannagan found Henry but the U’s winger was unable to find Taylor in the centre.

Taylor was denied by Bursik after Dickie headed down from a corner as the U’s pushed for a second before the break.

But after the restart, it didn’t take long for Robinson’s side to find that crucial goal. Browne drove forward again, played in Brannagan out wide and the midfielder delivered to an unmarked Taylor at the back post to tap home a simple finish.

Bursik denied the U’s top scorer moments later, before keeping out Browne’s 35-yard free-kick in sensational style as the U’s looked to run riot.

Despite the host’s dominance, Stanley kept probing. Pritchard headed over before a penalty appeal against substitute Mark Sykes was waved away.

With 20 minutes remaining, Oxford finished the game off. Henry found space on the right and, as often this season, found Taylor with ease in the box and the on-loan Bristol City man headed home the U’s third goal of the evening.

Oxford remained comfortable and saw the game out, leaving them just one point off the playoffs with another home game this weekend against strugglers Southend United.

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