A FINE second-half display dug Oxford United out of a hole as they beat spirited Hartlepool United in the Emirates FA Cup.

The National League side were on course for the fourth round at half-time, leading thanks to Mark Kitching’s finish after a terrible defensive mix-up.

But United belatedly showed their quality after Rob Hall curled in an equaliser.

Shandon Baptiste, by some distance the best player on the pitch, put United ahead midway through the half with a brilliant run and finish.

Tariqe Fosu and Matty Taylor struck late on to finally kill off the visitors and send the Sky Bet League One side into the last 32.

United had no new signings in their side, but as promised Karl Robinson named a strong line-up.

There could be no excuses, then, about the breakdown in communication on nine minutes which gifted Hartlepool the opening goal.

The U’s attempted to play out of a tight spot around their penalty area and no-one read Rob Dickie’s pass.

Whether it was to a fellow defender or goalkeeper Jordan Archer was unclear, but Kitching was the only player alive to the situation and he pounced for his second goal of the season.

Dickie may still have been thinking about the goal eight minutes later. He was played into trouble by Alex Gorrin and lost the ball in the centre circle, collecting a booking for pulling back Nicke Kabamba, who threatened to race clear.

Archer also saved Gavan Holohan’s fierce 20-yard effort before the hosts finally woke up.

Rob Hall shot just wide from outside the penalty area as they looked to get back on level terms.

With Pools dropping deep to protect their lead, United had plenty of the ball and needed someone to unlock a packed defence.

Elliott Moore and Alex Gorrin did just that with slide-rule passes inside Peter Kioso to get Josh Ruffels and Shandon Baptiste into the box respectively. But from good positions both players saw their low crosses intercepted.

Baptiste looked the player most likely to make something happen. The midfielder rolled away from tackles and showed great vision at times, without United making the most of it.

They racked up half a dozen corners, but went in at the break without mustering a shot on target.

It was perhaps a surprise to see Robinson resist making changes at the interval and the home side almost shot themselves in the foot early in the second half.

Josh Ruffels threatened to present Pools with a similar chance to their goal, but this time Archer was alert to the danger and raced out to hack the under-hit back pass clear.

United were desperate for a spark – and Hall provided it on 52 minutes.

His marker got too tight 30 yards out and the winger breezed past into space, from where he guided a curling shot which spun in off the turf and into the far corner of the net.

A second goal should have arrived within four minutes. Baptiste, who was causing havoc every time he got the ball, cruised forward and slipped in Mark Sykes, who shot straight at Mitchell Beeney from eight yards.

United were finally going through the gears, though. Hartlepool began to labour and fell behind on 66 minutes to a moment of pure class.

Baptiste had been the best player on the pitch for some time and rammed home the point with a mesmerising run and finish which left several defenders on their backside in the penalty area.

Fosu, who had provided the pass for the goal, then sent a bicycle kick wide from Sam Long’s cross.

Spaces began to open up as Pools chased the game in the latter stages.

Substitutes Matty Taylor and Fabio Lopes, on after Baptiste was forced off, had shots saved by Beeney.

But the goalkeeper could do nothing about Fosu’s tap-in six minutes from time, converting Lopes’s scuffed effort.

Taylor quickly made it 4-1 from the penalty spot as United finally had breathing space and could look forward to the fourth round draw on Monday.

Oxford Utd (4-3-3): Archer, Long, Dickie, Moore, Ruffels, Sykes, Gorrin, Baptiste (Lopes 84), Hall (Agyei 80), Mackie (Taylor 66), Fosu.

Unused subs: Stevens, Mousinho, Jones, Goodrham.

Booked: Dickie.

Hartlepool Utd (4-4-1-1): Beeney, Kioso, Raynes (Molyneux 84), Kerr, Richardson (Hamilton 70), Donaldson, Featherstone, Mafuta, Kitching, Holohan, Kabamba (Toure 65).

Unused subs: Killip, Cunningham, Kennedy, Grey.

Booked: Mafuta, Kerr.

Referee: Michael Salisbury (Lancashire).

Attendance: 6,240 (779 visitors).