ROBBO’S JOY AT GOALS GLUT
OXFORD United boss Karl Robinson enthused about his free-scoring team as they buried Burton to make it 31 goals in the last 11 games.
The U’s were four up inside 45 minutes before Albion pulled one back in stoppage time at the end of the first half.
Robinson said: “We came out firing and we were exceptional in that opening period.
“I’m very pleased with our performance. I think we’ve scored the most goals in the league now.”
Sam Baldock continued Oxford’s recent habit of scoring early, heading in Herbie Kane’s cross at the far post in the seventh minute.
It was one-way traffic onwards and, after 35 minutes, Gavin Whyte scored his team’s second goal with a cracking 22yard shot into the top right corner.
Baldock got his second by turning in Mark Sykes’ cross in the 41st minute.
And, soon after, Matty Taylor added a fourth, volleying past Ben Garratt at his near post for his 20th goal of the season.
Adlene Guédioura pulled one back for Albion with a brilliant firsttime shot from outside the box in first-half time added on.
By comparison, the second half was very uneventful, with substitute Sam Winall missing a great opportunity to add a fifth for United.
Robinson said: “The second half was always going to be ‘After the Lord Mayor’s Show’ but we were very professional too.”
He said Baldock, replaced early in the second period, was taken off as a precaution “because he felt the back of his knee”.
Of Winnall, he said: “Sam is on 99 goals and, when you feel under that much pressure to score your 100th goal, it’s always difficult.”
Robinson added: “We were disappointed with the goal we conceded just before half-time but fortunately we’d scored four goals before that – four wonder goals.
“Everything we had worked on and the areas we wanted to play in, the players did that and we deserved the victory.”
Burton boss Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink reflected: “I’m really disappointed and also worried. There are too many games where we don’t start well at all.
“It would be easier to say what went right rather than what went wrong because nothing went right.
“I didn’t see this coming today, especially after Tuesday (when Albion lost 5-2 away to Sheffield Wednesday). We were way too open – it could have been six or seven. We were a really soft touch. This performance was a relegation performance.
“We are lucky that we have the amount of points that we have. We still need points.
“I need to find a way to lift them.”