THIS time last week, Oxford United’s home games against Lincoln City and Morecambe looked like the perfect opportunity to get their season going.

Even the most pessimistic U’s supporter would have expected more than a point from the two matches.

United will feel they did enough to win both games, particularly against Morecambe. The shot count read 27-3, they had eight corners to the visitors’ zero and enjoyed 66 per cent possession.

But the statistics hide the fact that the U’s left themselves relying on a big second-half performance once again.

READ MORE: Karl Robinson on full backs and first-half display against Morecambe

That might seem an odd comment considering the game was goalless at the break, but United failed to stamp their authority in a pedestrian opening 45 minutes.

The full backs, so important in a diamond formation, were not high enough so the U's resorted to long balls and playing through the middle.

A lack of urgency meant Morecambe were relatively comfortable, other than when Cameron Brannagan got in behind and forced Connor Ripley into a save.

The good news was the Shrimps offered next to nothing going forward and that did not help the spectacle in a subdued atmosphere.

You feared the worst when Jensen Weir put Morecambe ahead early in the second half, but that might have been the trigger United needed.

RATINGS: Every Oxford United player marked out of 10 against Morecambe

Kyle Joseph got off the mark for the club with a poacher’s goal to reward his energy. The striker won the penalty against Lincoln from a similar position, so he is certainly getting in the right areas.

The U's controlled the rest of the contest, although the shot statistics were a bit misleading as they did not force Morecambe goalkeeper Connor Ripley into any saves you would not have expected him to make.

Substitute Slavi Spasov almost had his Tyler Goodrham moment, but a heroic block from Anthony O’Connor prevented another last-gasp winner from a U’s youngster.

It would have been another fairytale story, coming nearly four years after the striker's only previous Sky Bet League One appearance due to some tough luck with injuries.

Five games do not make a season, particularly with United, and they would be much more potent going forward without so many first-team players sidelined.

It must also be said that they created more against Lincoln and Morecambe than they did against Bristol Rovers and Cambridge United, which suggests progress.

WATCH: Highlights of yesterday's game

The U's can make this formation work with the squad they have available. The full backs need to push up, although that means Marcus McGuane - or whoever is in defensive midfield – has to be disciplined to avoid gaps appearing at the back.

It was also interesting that Matty Taylor was more influential playing off the front two, which is another option if United are chasing a game.

The lack of depth in the squad means Karl Robinson surely cannot make wholesale changes against Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday.

The visit of Premier League opposition will be a welcome distraction from a disappointing start to the league campaign, which is yet to get going.