Oxford United boss Brian Talbot praised Wales international Craig Davies for his match-turning performance at Darlington on Saturday - and said the teenager is now starting to understand that he has to play for the team.

The 19-year-old striker has been criticised in the past for doing things by himself.

But he produced a more selfless display to help bring the U's a welcome 2-1 victory - the first away since Talbot took over.

The win, United's first in eight games, lifted them to 16th in the table, remarkably just eight points behind table-topping Grimsby with a fifth of the League Two campaign completed.

Talbot started with on-loan Andy Campbell, but it proved an inspired substitution when he brought Davies on at half-time.

He said: "I thought Craig would give us a bit of impetus, and that pace and aggression.

"He's come back as a full international and all credit to him - Wales think highly of him - but at the end of the day, he's got to do it for Oxford.

"How he does for Wales doesn't really interest me. What I'm more concerned about is how he plays for Oxford and it's important that he knows he has to play for the team.

"Davies is disappointing he's not starting, but he's still learning the game.

"He came on, made one goal with a mis-hit shot which he tells me was a cross, and he punished a mistake with a fantastic finish.

"He helped change the game."

Explaining why he didn't start with the youngster, Talbot said: "I try to be fair.

"Campbell hasn't played a lot of football in the last 18 months, but he was coming back to his old patch (in the north-east) and I thought it was an opportunity for him.

"He's played three times in a week now though, and I think he tired.

With Chris Hargreaves and Stuart Gray injured, United's manager tried a new formation, with three centre backs, and it worked to perfection.

"It was a good performance," Talbot acknowledged.

"We knew after last Saturday, when it was a disappointing result at home to Rushden & Diamonds that we were going to go on the road this week for two difficult away fixtures.

"If you had said to me last Sunday morning, when I wasn't feeling on top of the world, that we would get four points, I'd have taken it."