Striker Matt Green said Oxford United don’t need to worry about rivals Stevenage, just concentrate on doing things right themselves, after their comprehensive 4-0 win at Grays on Saturday.
Green, who came on as a second-half sub, got the icing-on-the-cake fourth goal, after earlier strikes from Simon Clist, Alfie Potter and James Constable.
“It’s been tough the last few weeks,” Green said.
“You can make excuses about the weather and games being postponed, but this is what we’re about, getting results like this away from home.
“We’ve got a mentality that we’re Oxford United . . . just do the right things and other things will look after themselves. We can’t worry about Stevenage.”
Graham Westley’s team remain a point clear at the top after they beat Kettering 2-0 at home, but the size of Oxford’s victory, albeit against a somewhat chaotic Grays outfit, will sound out a message to their promotion rivals.
It was Green’s second goal in successive games, following his winner in the FA Trophy tie against Woking.
“I’ve come back from injury and two goals in two games is a perfect start and great confidence booster for me,” he added.
Said United’s new left back Anthony Tonkin: “We knew it would be tough before the game. The pitch isn’t a good surface to play on, but I thought we produced a good, professional performance.
“We’d missed a few weeks due to the frost and snow and you could see we were a little bit rusty.
“We’ve had a couple of games now, and had a hard week training, everyone’s getting their sharpness back and I think it showed today. As a team we’ve played really well.”
It was Potter’s goal 15 seconds into the second half which killed Grays off stone dead.
“It was a brilliant time to score,” Tonkin said.
“They were coming out and looking for a bright and positive start to the second half, after we were quite comfortable first half. Then from Alfie it was a brilliant finish, he just curled it in.
“Getting four goals is a big confidence-booster, and I thought we were really solid as a team as well, without conceding today.”
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