OXFORD United made it ten goals in two matches as they boosted their play-off credentials with an impressive win over Shrewsbury Town.
Rob Atkinson, Elliot Lee, Matty Taylor and Sam Long found the net at the Kassam Stadium, meaning each of those ten strikes have come from a different player.
Atkinson headed the U’s into the lead with his first professional goal, before Lee made it 2-0 before the break with a smart finish.
Harry Chapman reduced the arrears six minutes after half-time, but Taylor’s 15th of the season and Long’s powerful strike secured the points.
It saw United claim back-to-back wins for the first time since February, while they are now seventh in Sky Bet League One – three points off sixth-placed Portsmouth.
Karl Robinson was back on the touchline after serving his one-match ban at Crewe Alexandra and named an unchanged line-up for the first time this season.
Cameron Brannagan recovered from a bug, thought to be food poisoning, to start at the base of midfield with Alex Gorrin still injured.
Shrewsbury made three changes, including two up front as Curtis Main and Chapman came in to lead the line, and the visitors started brightly.
Most concerning to United, though, was an injury to Brandon Barker just seven minutes in.
The winger had just embarked on a jinking run when he went down in the centre circle and was unable to carry on, with Mide Shodipo replacing him.
United began to feel their way into the game and scored the crucial first goal 13 minutes in.
James Henry whipped in a corner from the right touchline and Atkinson climbed highest at the far post to head home, via the underside of the crossbar.
That signalled a change in momentum and the duo almost combined again ten minutes later, with the centre back unable to make clean contact when he threw himself at another inviting corner.
The U’s were comfortable on the ball and pressing high on the rare occasion they lost it, yet they were unable to seriously threaten the visitors goal again – until Lee struck nine minutes before the break.
More good work in the left corner enabled Shodipo to cross, with the Luton Town loanee twisting his body and firing a low shot that wrong-footed goalkeeper Matija Sarkic.
The lively Chapman kept United honest with some neat touches and, while the hosts reached half-time unscathed, he soon got Shrewsbury back into the game.
Josh Ruffels headed Nathaneal Ogbeta’s deep cross straight to the forward and he sold a dummy to create space for himself before firing powerfully inside Jack Stevens’ near post from ten yards.
It was well and truly game on, as Shrewsbury gained confidence from the goal and the U’s looked to reassert their dominance of the first half.
They could have done so just after the hour mark when Shodipo broke forward and played in Taylor one-on-one, but United’s top scorer could not dink the ball over Sarkic and the chance was gone.
The miss was forgotten three minutes later when the No 9 restored his side’s two-goal lead.
United broke and Henry took possession 30 yards out, threading a lovely through ball into Taylor who had run off the shoulder of the centre backs.
The striker still had a lot to do as he took aim from a tight angle, but beat Sarkic at his near post with a fierce effort that glanced the underside of the bar.
Robinson illustrated his attacking options by bringing on Sam Winnall and Dan Agyei for Taylor and Henry, but it was a defender who struck next with 13 minutes left.
Lee’s free-kick from the left touchline was just kept out by Sarkic, but the ball bobbled out to Long on the edge of the six-yard box, who lashed a shot off the far post to celebrate his new contract in style.
Robinson brought on Jamie Hanson and Anthony Forde for Long and Lee to see the game out, with Shrewsbury’s only remaining chance of note a Chapman snapshot that struck the base of the post in stoppage-time.
Oxford United (4-3-3): Stevens, Long (Forde 86), Moore, Atkinson, Ruffels, Henry (Agyei 74), Brannagan, Sykes, Lee (Hanson 86), Taylor (Winnall 74), Barker (Shodipo 7).
Unused subs: Eastwood, Kelly.
Booked: Brannagan.
Shrewsbury Town (3-5-2): Sarkic, Pennington, Ebanks-Landell, Williams (Walker 84), Love, Vela (Goss 84), Davis, Norburn (Edwards 90+1), Ogbeta, Main (Udoh 84), Chapman.
Subs: Burgoyne, Whalley, Pyke.
Booked: Vela, Norburn.
Referee: Sam Purkiss (London).
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