Oxford United recorded a successive 3-0 league victory as Liam Manning’s side edged past Exeter at Grenoble Road.
Ruben Rodrigues netted his first U’s goal before a late Cameron Brannagan brace from the penalty spot made for a resounding scoreline.
Here are three talking points from the game:
Ruben Rodrigues
The summer signing has shown glimpses of his ability since his arrival but his performance against the Grecians was an established all-round display.
He opened the scoring, with his first Oxford goal, and continued to look lively throughout. The midfielder was also involved in Brannagan’s first penalty as he was brought down in the box after jinking his way through.
Clean Sheet and Defensive Stability
For the second successive league match, Oxford kept a clean sheet. While they looked a threat going forward, the U’s remained disciplined and organised at the back.
There were question marks over Jordan Thorniley’s return in place of Stephan Negru against Fleetwood but the former Blackpool man has kept two clean sheets when the U’s had managed just one from their opening six league games.
Ciaron Brown, who kept his place in the line-up over Greg Leigh despite his return from suspension, also cleared an effort off the line when Oxford had a two-goal lead.
Another player in the backline that deserves a mention is James Beadle. He was largely untested but looked untroubled with any efforts that came towards his goal.
Possession and Statistics
There have been times this season when Oxford have dominated possession but struggled to put the ball in the back of the net. There have also been times when it’s been an even game but Manning’s side have edged it. The game against Exeter showed another dimension.
The U’s ended the game with 37 per cent possession but, as mentioned in the previous talking point, remained disciplined in defence and off the ball. The other statistic that was intriguing was the shots. Oxford had nine and four on target, where they scored three, while the Grecians saw 14 attempts on goal and five on target, but failed to get past Beadle.
