OXFORD United were sent tumbling out of the Carabao Cup in the first round after a thrashing at the hands of Bristol City.

Liam Manning made five changes to the side which fell to a 2-0 defeat at Cambridge United on the opening day of the season as Fin Stevens, Marcus McGuane, Billy Bodin, Stanley Mills and Gatlin O’Donkor were named in the starting line-up.

They replaced Sam Long, Ruben Rodrigues and Mark Harris, who were included on a nine-man bench, while Josh McEachran and Marcus Browne weren’t involved in the matchday squad.

For the hosts, former U’s centre back Rob Dickie started, while Mark Sykes was on the bench and came on at half-time.

Harry Cornick gave the Robins a somewhat undeserved lead after United had arguably started stronger, before Bodin nodded in an equaliser.

Five minutes later though, Jason Knight restored the home side’s lead, and it was he who then secured a two-goal advantage just two minutes into the second period.

Nakhi Wells coolly slotted in a fourth just minutes later, before Kal Naismith added the fifth as the hosts ran away with the tie.

Despite trailing at the break, it was the U’s who made the brighter start to the first half.

With three minutes on the clock, McGuane won the ball and launched a counter-attack which saw Mills send a shot across goal and wide from the right channel of the penalty box.

A couple of minutes later, a clever ball from Bodin found Tyler Goodrham, whose low effort was held by Max O’Leary in the home side’s goal.

United continued to carve out openings, and after Bodin picked up on a loose ball, he played the ball to Goodrham, who saw a shot from the left corner of the six-yard box well blocked by Zak Vyner.

Shortly afterwards, Bodin headed a Stevens cross over the bar.

At the other end, the Robins threatened for the first time when danger down the left wasn’t dealt with and Cornick fired over while leaning back from eight yards out.

He gave the hosts the lead though after quarter of an hour when he finished Haydon Roberts’ cross from the left.

Joe Williams then smashed a loose ball high over the crossbar after Elliott Moore had headed away a corner.

With half an hour played, United found an equaliser.

Stevens floated a ball to the back post, where Bodin’s header seemed to catch out O’Leary, as the ball nestled in the far corner.

The U’s then had the chance to take the lead when McGuane sent Mills racing through, however the loanee’s effort was clipped wide when facing O’Leary.

United were punished for that miss as the hosts retook the lead, and it again came down the left-hand side.

A cross was ineffectively dealt with, and Knight was left unmarked to fire home from 10 yards.

Slack play at the back almost led to a third after Jordan Thorniley’s loose pass was picked up on by Wells, who released Knight.

However, the former Derby County midfielder was denied when one-on-one with James Beadle.

Almost immediately in the second half, Knight grabbed his brace when he arrived from deep to apply the finish to a cross from the left.

Wells then capitalised on errors in the U’s backline, to coolly round Beadle and slot home.

Joe Williams then curled a shot from the left corner of the box, but it was a comfortable take for Beadle.

Just before the hour mark, Manning made a triple change as Josh Murphy, Rodrigues and Harris replaced Mills, Bodin and O’Donkor.

Harris was involved from the off, seeing a shot charged down and out for a corner, which came to nothing.

Naismith scored the Robins’ fifth goal of the evening when a clipped ball over the United backline found him in acres of space in the box, enabling him to take the ball down and fire past Beadle.

A chance to eat into the scoreline came United’s way when Rodrigues preyed on a loose pass and fed Harris, however his strike from inside the area was straight at O’Leary.

The evening went from bad to worse when Thorniley picked up a knock late on, with Stephan Negru coming on in his place.

His teammates had Beadle to thank that it wasn’t six when a cross bounced off Moore, however the goalkeeper on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion reacted quickly at point-blank range to push the ball away.

Deep in stoppage time, George Tanner’s low effort from range was palmed away by Beadle.

Bristol City (4-3-3): O’Leary; Tanner, Vyner, Dickie, Roberts; King (Naismith 61), Williams (James 61), Knight (Bell 61); Cornick (Sykes 46), Wells (Yeboah 72), Mehmeti.

Unused subs: Wiles-Richards, Pring, Knight-Lebel, Araoye.

Booked: Dickie, James.

Oxford United (4-2-3-1): Beadle; Stevens, Moore, Thorniley (Negru 80), Brown; Brannagan, McGuane; Mills (Murphy 57), Bodin (Rodrigues 57), Goodrham (Long 67); O’Donkor (Harris 57).

Unused subs: Eastwood, Smyth, Woltman, Took-Oxley.

Booked: Brown, Murphy, Rodrigues.

Referee: Ollie Yates (Staffordshire).

Attendance: 9,616 (1,201 away).