THREE home wins from three, sitting outside the Sky Bet Championship play-offs on goal difference, and a tasty reunion this weekend.

It’s fair to say that so far, life in the second tier for Oxford United has possibly exceeded many fans’ expectations.

Five games into the campaign feels an appropriate time to pause and reflect on the start to United’s season.

The campaign began at home, when Norwich City were blown away on the opening weekend, unable to handle the U’s press, which was aggressive and relentless, and perhaps more than anything, brave.

After all, this was a newly promoted side going pretty gung-ho against a team which finished in the Championship play-offs last season.

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United’s next league games were both on the road, at Coventry City and Blackburn Rovers.

The Sky Blues are a formidable outfit and possess a strength in depth not many teams at this level can rival.

Mark Robins has built a side with an array of exciting attacking talent, and there is no shame in losing a five-goal thriller deep in stoppage time against the Sky Blues.

The nature of the defeat hurt of course, with Will Vaulks’ misplaced back pass allowing Haji Wright to run clean through on goal, but that ultimately is just how brutal football can be in the Championship.

At Ewood Park, the U’s can count themselves unlucky not to have left with a point. A draw with Coventry would’ve felt a little bit like a smash and grab, but against Blackburn, things were far more even.

Mark Harris scored a goal of the season contender with a minute to go until the break, but United managed to concede two minutes into stoppage time.

Would it have been a different game if the U’s had taken their lead into the break? Who knows.

As it was, Arnor Sigurdsson netted a Rovers winner with seven minutes to go. It’s worth pointing out that Blackburn, backed by many to be relegated at the beginning of the season, are one of three teams not to lose in the Championship so far.

Eleven points from five matches have got Rovers third in the table.

It was important for United to get a reaction in their next league outing, at home to Preston North End.

Conceding after three minutes was certainly not on the agenda, but after seeing out a difficult opening 20 minutes, a tweak from Des Buckingham swung momentum to the U’s.

From there, United went on to wrestle control and secure a 3-1 victory.

The international break gave the U’s a free weekend, before returning to action on Saturday afternoon.

There was only one goal in it against Stoke City, but that doesn’t quite tell the whole story.

The first half was tame from both sides, however United took control three minutes into the second period with a first U’s goal for Idris El Mizouni, and then enjoyed a 25-minute spell of dominance where they really should’ve put the game to bed.

It wasn’t the case, but the El Mizouni effort proved enough.

It’s been a wonderful start for United, but ask any player or coaching staff member, and they will tell you that is all it is. A start.

There are 41 challenges still to come, starting with an eagerly anticipated reunion this weekend at Ashton Gate.