Robbo’s so happy after United tame the Shrews

OXFORD United boss Karl Robinson hailed a ‘fantastic’ win as Cameron Brannagan’s late penalty secured them the spoils at Shrewsbury.

The U’s kept up their promotion push with a fifth victory in six games, thanks to goal machine Matty Taylor and Branngan, who scored either side of Ryan Bowman’s first strike since Boxing Day.

Three Oxford players were struck down with Covid within 48 hours of the game and Robinson praised: “We had to perform and this was a fantastic win.

“It takes us to 68 points with eight games to go – it’s a really strong position, but we’ve not done anything yet.

“They put everything into the game and what a wonderful win.

“We rode our luck at times, but that’s part of football, we’re absolutely ecstatic in the dressing room.

“It’s a brilliant win and we’re absolutely over the moon. We would have settled for a point. It’s a tough place to come.”

Taylor was on hand to slot home in the 11th minute as Gavin Whyte’s strike was deflected into his path.

Simon Eastwood pulled off some fine saves to maintain their first-half lead.

First he kept out Luke Leahy’s header, before an even better save to deny Ethan Ebanks-Landell.

But Eastwood’s resistance was finally broken on the hour mark as Bowman’s first-time effort from Ryan Bennett’s cross took him to double figures on the season.

Matt Pennington saw his header saved as Steve Cotterill’s Shrews pushed for a winner, but then Bennett felled Ryan Williams in the box and Brannagan made no mistake from 12 yards.

Cotterill’s side have now won just one of their last 12 games and he said: “It’s a tough one to take.

“It won’t be just me who thinks we should have got more from the game.

“I think we should have at least gone in at half-time all square.

“We didn’t play as well in the first half as we did in the second half.

“We just didn’t do it in the first half. I think there was a stronger wind out there than it appears and maybe that had a part in it.

“We did enough to win the game in the second half. So to lose it is bitterly disappointing.”