KARL Robinson praised Tyler Goodrham as a player and a person after the teenager’s sensational winning goal on his league debut.

The forward, who turns 19 tomorrow, dribbled past two Cambridge United defenders and fired into the top corner deep in stoppage-time to give Oxford United a 1-0 victory.

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It was the U’s first goal, points and win of the Sky Bet League One season, having been under-par for most of their opening home game of the campaign.

Goodrham was thrown on for Matty Taylor in the 86th minute and produced the moment of class that eluded his teammates, with Robinson booked for his part in the celebrations.

“It was a big call and he made a wonderful impression, I’m so proud of the little man,” United’s head coach said.

“He’s been training wonderfully well and we’ve been seeing those moments on a consistent basis.

“We’ve got a few young players that have been training with the first team for six months.

“We had an opportunity to send him out on loan today and we said no because he’s been training really well.

“It doesn’t mean you expect him to score a goal the way he did, but bringing off Matty Taylor for him shows you the faith that we have.

“We have no qualms with playing young players if they’re ready. He’s a lovely young man and a credit to himself.

“He wasn’t going to go on loan this month anyway.”

United were looking to get on the board for the season after last weekend’s 1-0 defeat at Derby County, but it was far from a vintage display.

Cambridge forward Harvey Knibbs fired wide from close range in the first half, before Dimitar Mitov spilled Josh Murphy’s effort in United’s best chance before the break.

The visiting goalkeeper was not stretched until he saved successive headers from Elliott Moore and Matty Taylor in the final ten minutes but he could do nothing about Goodrham’s goal.

Robinson admitted the U’s were not at their best, although he thought they improved after the break.

“I wouldn’t say we were bad, we just weren’t our scintillating selves,” he said.

“All my players just apologised for the performance, without me saying anything.

“I thought we were the more dominant team in the second half.

“It’s a pleasing win, it gets us on the board and the first one’s always the hardest at home.

“A dry, slow day and a team that wants to stifle it. They must have wasted at least 12 minutes, as soon as the ball went out they walked, but if that’s what teams want to do that’s fine.”