Oxford United lose 3-1 to League One leaders Plymouth Argyle

With an entirely fit squad to choose from, Karl Robinson’s team selection was always going to be an interesting one, especially going forward.

The U’s boss went with Cameron Brannagan and Herbie Kane in holding midfield roles, with a three of James Henry, Gavin Whyte and Nathan Holland behind Matty Taylor.

The visitors edged an entertaining first half, despite the U’s going ahead.

Holland started brightly on the left, taking on defenders and putting two dangerous balls across the box in the opening stages.

The U’s took just five minutes to make the breakthrough – and it came from two moments of quality.

Henry clipped a delicious ball over the top from the right hand side, which Taylor took down with ease and finished with aplomb past Mike Cooper in the Argyle goal.

However, just six minutes later, the away side equalised.

The impressive and dangerous Jordon Garrick was allowed too much time to drift in from the left and fire a shot past the stretching Jack Stevens.

Garrick was in again within sixty seconds as the U’s backline struggled to get to grips with the Swansea City loanee’s pace and trickery.

Two minutes later, Jordan Thorniley had to be alert to position himself well and block a Garrick cross.

Thorniley’s defensive partner Elliott Moore then had to get across and clear with Luke Jephcott running clear on goal.

The Welsh striker saw a header fly over the bar on 19 minutes as the visitors ramped up the pressure.

On 24 minutes, Panutche Camara fired against the post from inside the box after a goalmouth scramble.

Camara then had a header bounce into the turf and comfortably into the hands of Stevens as Argyle asserted dominance.

Their persistence paid off with six minutes to go until the break, and it was Camara who found the goal.

A quick counter attack saw Jephcott in space on the right and he slid the ball across the box to Camara who fired past Stevens.

Just before the break, Taylor did well to feint, turn and send a shot, which went wide of the post.

The U’s came racing out the blocks in the second half with Holland weaving past defenders and sending in a cross from the left, which nobody in a yellow shirt was able to get on the end of.

Then Steve Seddon sent a header over the bar and Henry hit one off target from distance in the opening minutes of the second half.

Argyle reminded the U’s of how dangerous they are when a lightning counter attack ended with Jephcott heading over the bar on 56 minutes.

Just before the hour mark, the U’s spurned a glorious opportunity.

Whyte played in the onrushing Henry, who hit wide with his right foot when he should’ve been hitting the target.

Minutes later, Moore burst forward into space and found Whyte who hit a low effort wide of the post.

Another chance came almost instantly and again it was Henry who should’ve done better.

Thorniley intercepted play and moved forward, with his lobbed pass deflecting into the path of Henry.

United’s number 17 carried the ball forward down the right but appeared to be leaning back when he blazed the ball over the bar.

The U’s kept coming though and Whyte was guilty of not adjusting his feet quickly enough on 67 minutes.

Taylor found the Cardiff City loanee on the left, just inside the box but he struggled to sort his feet out and Argyle got the ball away.

It continued to be an end to end affair with Camara stinging the palms of Stevens on 71 minutes, the resulting corner coming to nothing.

Argyle wrapped up the points to keep them at the top of the league with just over five minutes to go.

The visitors were patient on the right and then played the ball across the face of the box, with Garrick dummying it for Camara to place a well struck shot into the corner.

The result sees Robinson’s side slip to ninth while Argyle stay top.