OX FACTOR
Boss Robinson in dreamland as Us secure top-six slot
Shodipo 10, Taylor 28, Lee 57, Winnall 90+2
BURTON ALBION
OXFORD boss Karl Robinson says reaching the playoffs for a second successive season is “beyond anyone’s wildest dreams.”
Olamide Shodipo, Matty Taylor, Elliot Lee, Sam Winnall were on target as Robinson’s side took full advantage of Portsmouth’s slip-up to secure sixth spot with a convincing victory.
That lifted them up above Pompey in to sixth spot and set up a semifinal showdown with Blackpool.
The aim now is to go one better than last season when they suffered an agonising defeat in the final at the hands of Wycombe.
But Robinson, who watched from the stands as he started a four-game touchline ban, believes there is already cause for celebration.
He said: “What a season – 74 points, that’s Oxford United back in the play-offs. I’m imShodipo mensely proud everybody.
“We’ve been at this for three or four years and we’re now a big force in League One.
“We can celebrate this, because finishing in the top six is a great achievement.
“Oxford, for two consecutive seasons, are in the play-offs and it’s beyond anyone’s wildest dreams. We were one of the lucky ones where the of ball has fallen for us in certain areas.
“It’s not always talent, you need a lot of luck in an EFL season.
“To achieve this is an incredible feat but we go into the play-offs as the ones not expected to go through.”
And Robinson hopes his ban might change his luck in the play-offs after falling short on three previous occasions.
He added: “Thankfully we have a three-match shootout. I’ll be watching from the stands and that might be the best chance of me winning one.” put Oxford on course for a sixth win in seven games with a powerful header to establish a 10th-minute lead.
Taylor doubled the advantage eight minutes later when he latched onto Michael Mancienne’s poor header to hit his 18th goal of the season.
Oxford never looked like losing control of the game and Lee added the third with a free-kick through the defensive wall before Winnall added a long-range fourth in added time.