A SUPERB spell in the first half gave Oxford United a very welcome win in front of their own fans to stay top of Sky Bet League Two.

James Constable scored his 101st goal for the club from short range after a quarter of an hour and the rampant hosts followed it up with two more in the following 16 minutes.

Ryan Williams set up Sean Rigg to double the lead before the Australian, on loan from Fulham, scored the third with a cool finish.

Morecambe came into the game after the break as United looked to first and foremost preserve their advantage.

The closest the visitors came to a goal was a shot from Jack Sampson which hit the outside of the post.

Oxford Mail:

  • James Constable makes it 1-0

But United were more than good value for their victory, only the third at the Kassam this season, which kept them top of the division.

There were no surprises on the team sheet, with U's boss Chris Wilder picking the side which had impressed in the second half at Mansfield a week earlier.

Asa Hall and Constable replaced the injured Andy Whing and Deane Smalley, just as they had during the 3-1 win at Field Mill.

The game started with a bang, as both sides gifted the other a glorious chance to score.

In the fourth minute, Shrimps goalkeeper Barry Roche played Stewart Drummond into trouble 25 yards out. Dave Kitson tackled the midfielder and instead of shooting himself the striker's attempted lay-off for Williams fell to Constable, who shot over on the turn.

Morecambe then had a great chance themselves, as U's skipper Johnny Mullins allowed a long ball over his head. The defender left it for goalkeeper Ryan Clarke, but it was not strong enough and Kevin Ellison went through, only to see his shot deflected over by David Hunt.

After escaping, United went on to deliver their best spell of the season at home, scoring three goals in quick succession.

The action began in the 15th minute, when Michael Raynes met Hunt's free-kick with a powerful header which was well parried by Roche, but Constable was in the right place to bundle home.

If there was an element of fortune with the first goal, the next two were all about United's attacking quality.

On 24 minutes, Williams sprung the offside trap to race on to a Hunt pass and he went on to slide a perfectly-timed pass to give Rigg a tap-in at full flow.

Oxford Mail:

  • Sean Rigg makes it 2-0

Morecambe's patient, possession-based approach proved their undoing with the third goal.

Hall, who had been excellent, intercepted a pass on the halfway line and strode forward. He fed the lively Williams, who took a moment to steady himself before dinking a delicate finish over Roche.

It was a terrific period for the home side, who came close to a fourth goal when Hall's flicked header at a corner came back off the bar.

Morecambe had come back from three goals down at half time to beat Chesterfield 4-3 in October and they began the second half brightly.

Clarke spilled a Ryan Williams free-kick but the goalkeeper reacted well to block Ellison's follow-up shot.

Just before the hour a neat move teed up Jack Sampson, whose low shot beat Clarke but cannoned off the post and bounced clear.

The visitors were again caught in possession in their own half, allowing United to quickly move the ball and set up Rigg.

The winger's shot was saved, but the exertion saw him go down in pain and he was quickly replaced by Callum O'Dowda.

Morecambe continued to have more of the ball, but struggled to get in behind a well organised defence.

Oxford Mail:

  • Ryan Williams makes it 3-0

They were limited to efforts from long range, which Clarke was able to deal with relatively comfortably.

As the minutes ebbed away so did the visitors' hopes of finding a way back into the game and United saw out the closing stages comfortably.

Oxford Utd: Clarke, Hunt, Raynes, Mullins, Newey, Williams (Davies 85), Hall, Rose, Rigg (O'Dowda 66), Kitson (Marsh 89), Constable.

Unused subs: Crocombe, Long, Bevans, Ruffels.

Morecambe: Roche, Wright, Hughes, Parrish (McCready 86), Diagne, Drummond, Fleming, Amond, Williams, Ellison (Redshaw 78), Sampson (Marshall 62).

Unused subs: Arestidou, Threlfall, Kenyon, Mwasile.

Referee: Gary Sutton (Lincolnshire).

Attendance: 4,871 (92 visitors).