OXFORD United manager Darren Patterson has moved swiftly to solve the club's goalscoring crisis by signing Championship strikers Ashley Barnes and Matthew Green.

The U's have failed to score in their last three league games and have been without key forwards Gary Twigg and Rob Duffy for a large part of the season.

And although Duffy is now fit again, his reappearance against Ebbsfleet last week saw him sent off after 20 seconds and he now serves a three-game ban!

Barnes, 18, has signed on loan from Plymouth, where he has been in prolific form for their reserves, while 20-year-old Green joins on loan from Cardiff, having just returned from a month at Darlington where former Oxford midfielder Dave Penney is boss.

The pair go straight into the squad for tomorrow's trip to Kidderminster.

"Both have goals in them and they are scrappers," said Patterson.

"That means we have four good-quality centre forwards fit.

"Matthew is a strong boy who did very well for Newport County last season which is why Cardiff paid a couple of quid for him.

"He is very athletic and works his socks off."

Patterson added: "Barnes was at Paulton Rovers where he had an excellent record as a 16 and 17-year-old and Plymouth bought him for around £50,000.

"He is raw and while he's not got electric pace, he is a tough boy.

"He's scoring for fun, but he's not happy playing in the reserves. I'm looking forward to working with him."

They join defender Patrick Collins who is on a month's loan from Darlington.

Meanwhile, former QPR and Ipswich midfielder Danny Sonner is training with United.

Patterson said: "I have know Danny for years. I remember him as a boy when I was at Wigan.

"You can see when he trains he's a footballer and you can see his quality."

Oxford United midfielder Michael Standing has joined Blue Square Premier rivals Grays Athletic.