TWO goals in as many minutes early in the second half saw Oxford United claim their first Women’s Super League 2 victory since October.

A tenth game without a victory looked on the cards when Ebony Salmon put Aston Villa ahead at Court Place Farm.

But Taome Oliver levelled before the break and the U’s went on to seal a 3-1 victory with a quickfire double from Kayleigh Hines and Dan Carlton.

For Carlton, it was the perfect response to the side’s barren run.

She said: “It was a really good performance.

“After the few weeks we’ve had, we’ve come out here and shown what we’re all about and we deserved the victory in the end.”

Villa had won just one league game this season, but they made a perfect start.

Just six minutes were on the clock when Salmon raced through and slotted past goalkeeper Demi Lambourne.

But the hosts shrugged off the setback and just after the half-hour mark Emily Allen’s deflected shot hit the woodwork.

Within two minutes United were celebrating an equaliser, when Oliver’s glancing header from Carlton’s right-wing cross found the corner of the Villa net.

And they killed the game off with two quick goals at the start of the second half.

United top-scorer Hines netted for the fifth time this season when she planted a free-kick into the top corner of Sian Rogers’s net.

Just two minutes later, Carlton raced onto a poor back-pass to make it 3-1.

Ellis Hillman did superbly to preserve the two-goal lead when she headed Aoife Hurley’s curling effort off the line.

A minute later Oxford had a chance to extend their lead further, but Oliver shot wide when one-on-one with Rogers.

Salmon had another chance to pull one back for Villa with just over 20 minutes left on the clock, but saw her effort well saved by Lambourne when through one-on-one.

Oxford Utd (4-2-3-1): Lambourne, Franklin-Fraiture, Short, Haynes, Hillman, Williams, Hines, Noble (Fyfe 83), Carlton, Allen (Donovan 78), Oliver (Baker 90).

Unused subs: Clarke, Yorston, Casley, Pickett.

Referee: Paul Forrester.

Attendance: 301.

l To buy tickets to an FA Women’s Super League match near you click here: fawsl.com/tickets.