Oxford United finally got their league campaign up and running with a thumping 4-0 victory over Morecambe at the Kassam Stadium on Saturday.
Midfielder Simon Heslop opened the scoring for the U's before James Constable went on the rampage, hitting a hat-trick to take his tally of goals for the season to five. The result was just what United fans were looking for, after four games back in the Football League without a victory.
The U's gave home debuts to Tom Craddock and Josh Payne and it was Craddock who had the first effort of the afternoon inside three minutes, hitting a right-footed shot that missed the left post by a couple of feet. Shrimpers 'keeper Barry Roche was called into action soon after to save a similar effort from Matt Green.
A horrific collision between Jake Wright and Morecambe striker Phil Jevons in the seventh minute saw the game delayed for several minutes with both players lying prone on the floor. Wright recovered sufficiently to continue but Jevons was forced out of the game to be replaced by Paul Mullin.
The stoppage didn't break the rhythm of United's game, with Payne, Asa Hall and Heslop combining were in midfield and Green looking dangerous in behind the Morecambe defence. The home side opened the scoring after 21 minutes, Heslop receiving the ball 22 yards out and slamming the ball past Roche who had no chance.
The goal seemed to relax the team and the crowd, and four minutes later it was 2-0, Constable rising unmarked to head a Heslop corner home for his first league goal of the season. Hall had a good effort at adding a third before half time with a neat chip on the half hour, but Chris Wilder would have gone into the break happy with his side's performance.
In the second half Morecambe looked to force their way back into the game, manager Sammy McIlroy tweaking the formation to play another man up front. On 51 minutes a Mark Duffy effort took a wicked deflection of a U's defender and stranded 'keeper Ryan Clarke, who had barely been called on, could only watch in horror as the ball drifted just past the far post.
With Morecambe pressing forward spaces continued to open up for United and Craddock, playing on the left of a front three with Constable and Green, almost got on the end of a Constable cross. Shortly after Payne played in Anthony Tonkin whose cross was sliced over his own bar by a Shrimpers defender from six yards out. With 24 minutes remaining Wilder threw on pacy wingers Sam Deering and Alfie Potter for Green and Craddock to run at the tiring Morecambe defence, while Mark Creighton came on for Wright who seemed to have a back problem shortly afterwards.
Ryan Clarke then pulled off a fantastic double save, keeping out a Stewart Drummond header before jumping to his feet to deny Paul Mullin from point blank range at a vital moment in the match. With 10 minutes remaining the visitors were reduced to 10 men when left back Laurence Wilson was shown his second yellow card for cutting down Potter as he looked to break through. It proved too much for Morecambe, who conceded from the resulting free kick, Heslop's ball reaching Payne who scuffed his shot straight to the delighted Constable who thumped it home.
The big striker still had time to net a third and cap a perfect day for the U's when Potter cut the ball back from the byline for Constable to fire home in injury time. The win moved United up to 13th in League Two and U's fans will be hoping for more of the same when they visit Hereford next Saturday.
