Oxford United 5 Accrington Stanley 0

George Dugdale

(Empics)

Oxford United returned to winning ways in emphatic fashion as four goals from Tom Craddock helped Chris Wilder's side to victory over Accrington Stanley.

The striker had completed a hat-trick within 36 minutes after three powerful finishes at the fence end, before slotting home a fourth in the second half.

Alfie Potter added gloss to the scoreline as he slotted home at the far post on a thoroughly encouraging afternoon for the home side.

After Monday's televised disappointment, Wilder looked to his more experienced players as United hunted a response. Andy Whing returned to the first team at right back, while Tony Capaldi replaced Luke O'Brien on the other side. Johnny Mullins took over from the suspended Jake Wright in the middle of defence, while Michael Raynes returned from injury to form a pairing of former Rotherham defenders. Lee Cox regained a place in central midfield alongside Jake Forster-Caskey, with Sean Rigg and Alfie Potter on the wings. James Constable took the captain's armband as he continued alongside Craddock in what appeared to be a 4-4-2.

It was immediately evident that the shape was not rigid and when Craddock dropped deep to collect the ball, the shape quickly shifted to a 4-2-3-1. The system was serving the hosts well and United had already threatened from a sequence of Tony Capaldi throws before they took the lead in the 13th minute. Raynes won a header in the area and when Constable had cushioned the ball back to Craddock, the former Middlesbrough striker lashed his strike through the grasp of Stanley goalkeeper Ian Dunbavin.

The goalkeeper, who recently appeared on Channel 5's 'Being Liverpool' as Steven Gerrard's golfing partner, was back in the spotlight minutes later. Potter wriggled free on the right and lifted the ball to Constable at the back post. His volley was well struck but Dunbavin was sharply down to deny the stand-in skipper.

Rigg was the next to test the goalkeeper, who will have had quieter afternoon's in his 136 appearances for the club. The winger's low drive was diverted around a post, but the second goal was coming.

On 24 minutes, it did. Accrington were unable to deal with a Jake Forster-Caskey pass and Craddock beat Dunbavin to the loose ball. The stopper appeared to have recovered his ground, but Craddock took his time before powering a low strike in at the near post. The perfect start for United and nothing more than the early dominance had deserved.

Potter was denied as Dunbavin smothered his low shot, but Oxford were not playing like a side who are lacking confidence. When the third goal came, the move that created the opportunity was superb. Capaldi passed the ball inside and set off along the wing. Sean Rigg sucked the full-back out of position and after the ball had been popped back to Forster-Caskey, the Brighton loanee simply lifted the ball into the vacated space for the onrushing left-back. Constable was again denied as he fired the pull-back goalwards, but Craddock was quickly on hand to smash the loose ball into the roof of the net. The half-time whistle was nine minutes away and the striker had already doubled his tally for the season.

Stanley's threat was limited but Ryan Clarke still had to be alert to divert a low Lee Molyneux (not that one) effort onto the post before half-time.

Capaldi took a blow to the ankle in the first half and was replaced by Luke O'Brien at the interval.

One can only presume that Paul Cook gave his players a severe telling off after forty-five minutes of hopping around on the touchline and there was something of a response early in the second half. Clarke was quickly down to his right to block from Padraig Amond, before Rommy Boco got slightly too much on an angled lob from outside the area.

Rigg and Potter quickly provided a reminder of the threat that United could pose and Dunbavin had his palms stung as the former Port Vale winger blasted at goal from a tight angle. The Accrington stopper had been superb, but he was powerless to prevent United's fourth with twenty minutes remaining. Constable, who had been buffeting defenders around all afternoon, left a defender trailing as he burst into the area and fed the ball back to Craddock. Two touches and a deceptive glance to the far corner later, the ball was in the net and Craddock became the seventh Oxford United player to score four goals in a Football League game.

Minutes later, he could have been the first to score five (Bud Houghton and Tony Jones achieved it in the Southern League) as a low effort was hacked off the line after Whing's header had been miraculously saved by Dunbavin, who looked like a man in need of a strong drink.

Peter Leven and Adam Chapman entered the fray as Whing was given a well earned rest after an impressive return to the team, while the Scot looked to get more minutes under his belt. United have missed Leven's ability – as any side in this league would