Denis Smith reverted to a tracksuit manager to help inspire his team to their first win of the season, writes Jon Murray.

The Oxford United boss decided he needed a younger-looking, more vigorous touchline approach and the trick worked as his team earned a shock 1-0 win over first division Wolves at Molineux.

It was Oxford's first goal of the season, and by far their best defensive display. And the victory, in the Worthington Cup first round, first leg, gives them an excellent chance of going through to the potentially money-spinning second round. The second leg is at the Manor Ground on Tuesday, September 5.

Goalkeeper Richard Knight, skipper for the night Jon Richardson, and teenagers Jon Shepheard and Dean Whitehead were the cup heroes, but Smith's dug-out dress and actions appeared to make a difference too.

"I changed my tactics tonight," Smith admitted afterwards. "I went down on the touchline and was shouting out instructions to try to get points across.

"Mickey Lewis does a good job but we are still a bit young and still a bit naive and we need a bit of direction down on the touchline at times. Perhaps people will see me more in a tracksuit than in a suit from now on."

Smith was delighted with the performance which showed his team can both play and work tirelessly for 90 minutes.

Disciplined

"It was a good, workmanlike performance and very disciplined," he stated. "Richard (Knight) had to make some good saves, but that's what he is paid to do. When we got the ball, we didn't just lump it forward, we passed it well at times.

"Steve Anthrobus worked himself into the ground up front and Manny Omoyinmi dragged them away and stretched them. And Paul Powell proved that he can defend, as I've always known he could. "It was important that the players came off the ground shattered. They should be doing that every match. I'd have preferred it to have been on Saturday, and it to have been three league points, but perhaps people will give us a bit of time now."

Smith demonstrated he isn't scared of making difficult decisions. He axed skipper Peter Fear and threw in Shepheard rather than the more experienced Neil McGowan.

"These were tactical decisions," he insisted. "All the lads who are left out know they have to perform, I"m not bothered who they are."

Wolves manager Colin Lee said: "We now know we've got to go down there and beat them in the second leg.

"Oxford made it very difficult for us they got a lot of bodies behind the ball and a few of them have possibly worked harder tonight than they've done in previous games. But that happens when teams play higher division teams in the cup."