Cheltenham Town felt the backlash to Oxford United's poor start to the season as the Us fired three goals past them without reply in the first Football League Cotswolds Derby at the Kassam Stadium.
Oxford this week suspended their manager Mark Wright and brought in Ian Atkins as director of football. The players responded to this change of leadership by producing a committed performance, although Cheltenham will once again regret missing the first half chances that could have brought them at least parity in the game.
Oxford made the brighter start to the game and Paul Moody headed a cross from ex-Cinderford Town and Forest Green Rovers defender Wayne Hatswell wide after only four minutes.
However, it took only three minutes more for the former Southampton and Fulham man to open the scoring. Paul Powell's corner kick caused havoc in the Cheltenham defence and with nobody able to boot the ball clear, Moody was able to force it over the line from close range.
The Robins then went on to play some excellent football. Roared on by over 1,200 travelling fans, they passed the ball and used the wide expanses of the Kassam Stadium pitch to good advantage.
Neil Howarth headed over the bar from a corner and Lee Williams did the same from an unmarked position moments later.
Chris Banks sent a powerful drive wide after a neat flick from Tony Naylor, and Naylor himself brushed the post with a low shot after a good build-up involving Martin Devaney, playing in place of the suspended Mark Yates, and Jamie Victory.
Russell Milton also shot wide from the edge of the box but too often the Cheltenham attacks broke down or became strangled around the edge of the penalty area.
Their intricate and elaborate passing looked great but it couldn't find them a way to goal, while Oxford utilised their quick forward players to good effect on the counter-attack.
The Us had strong penalty claims turned down when Powell went to ground under a challenge from Michael Duff, but the influential Powell was soon involved in the second Oxford goal after 38 minutes.
He received the ball after a pass by Tony Naylor had been intercepted in the Oxford half and slid it through for Jamie Brooks.
The highly-rated young striker raced through a wide gap in the defence and beat Steve Book with a confident finish.
Cheltenham showed plenty of willing at the start of the second half and both Devaney and Lee Howells had shot at goal but things went even more wrong 10 minutes after the re-start.
Midfielder Dean Whitehead broke forward and his shot cannoned off at least one defender before dropping for the impressive Powell, who guided a low shot past Book from eight yards.
In the space of 15 minutes either side of the break the Robins had gone from looking decidely capably of getting an equaliser to chasing a 3-0 deficit.
Manager Steve Cotterill sent on Neil Grayson and Antony Griffin for Tony Naylor and Neil Howarth, but Oxford were content to sit on their lead having built up their best scoreline of the season to date.
Having achieved only one win in their previous 12 games the Us held tightly to their lead and Cheltenham were restricted to a series of long range shots at goal.
Even leading scorer Julian Alsop was tightly marked out of the game by Scott Guyett and Phil Bolland and was replaced by Hugh McAuley four minutes from the end.
Book charged out to block at the feet of substitute Chris Hackett but the closest Cheltenham came to a goal was in injury time when Guyett almost diverted a Lee Williams cross past his own goalkeeper.
OXFORD UNITED: McCaldon; Richardson, Guyett, Bolland, Hatswell; Stockley, Savage, Whitehead, Powell (Ricketts 73); Moody, Brooks (Hackett 86). Subs: Knight, Thomas, King.
CHELTENHAM TOWN: Book; Howarth (Griffin 65), Duff, Banks, Victory; Williams, Howells, Milton, Devaney; Alsop (McAuley 86), Naylor(Grayson 65). Subs: Jones, Muggleton.
REFEREE: S.G. Tomlin (Sussex)
ATTENDANCE: 6,740
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