Rob Hall once again showed why he is so highly thought of with a sublime double as Oxford United got back to winning ways at the Kassam Stadium last night.
Hall scored once in each half, with James Constable also netting a brace, as Chris Wilder's side overcame a plucky Plymouth side to go fifth in the npower League Two table.
Things looked comfortable for United at the break thanks to Hall's fifth goal of the season in the 15th minute - his first at the Kassam Stadium.
But Simon Walton's penalty ten minutes after the break meant that the U's had to regroup and come again.
And they did just that to send more than 7,000 United fans home happy.
Hall made it 2-1, Constable got in on the act to hit No 3, before Peter Leven's simply exquiste lob made the result safe. Constable's second of the game in stoppage time was the icing on the cake.
Hall, on loan from West Ham, opened the scoring with a neatly-taken effort from 12 yards out.
Paul McLaren laid the ball back to Liam Davis, whose cross was met by the head of Alfie Potter eight yards out.
Potter should have scored, but a fine reaction save from Jake Cole saw the ball rebound to Hall, who smashed home a low left-foot shot from 12 yards.
The hosts almost equalised when McLaren tried to cut out a through ball, but managed only to divert it into the path of Will Atkinson.
Ryan Clarke saved his original shot, but when Jared Sims's follow-up beat the keeper, it needed Michael Duberry to hack off the line in the 23rd minute.
The U's were knocking the ball around with ease against opponents who, to their credit, made up in effort what they lacked in quality.
Hall, Potter and Heslop were all denied by saves from Jake Cole as the U's went into half-time in command.
The game changed nine minutes into the second half, however, when Duberry went in high on Sims.
The referee had no hesitation in blowing for a penalty, booking Duberry - and Batt for his protests - and Walton converted from the spot.
The Oxford fans cranked up the noise in a bid to spur their team on.
Constable had a chance to shoot but instead tried to lay the ball off, and then Hall had a shot saved after a break from Peter Leven.
But then when Damian Batt sent over a cross from the right, Hall's outstretched left leg diverted the ball past Cole and gave the U's the lead.
Suddenly United were playing with the same swagger as earlier, and when Liam Davis's long ball saw both Potter and Constable get in behind the Plymouth defence, it was 3-1.
Potter got the first touch, but Constable almost took the ball off his foot and calmly finished.
However, Leven's goal to make it 4-1 was out of this world.
With the ball on his weaker right foot on the left edge of the area, the midfielder curled a sublime effort over Cole and into the net.
Potter was through one-on-one to try and make it 5-1 - but Cole saved well at his feet.
But Constable showed him how it was done, slotting home No 5 from Leven's inch-perfect pass in the third minute of stoppage time.
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