SEVEN goals on the road and four successful penalties – even the most optimistic Oxford United fan would not have expected yesterday’s 7-2 dismantling of Gillingham.

Here are seven key stats from a record-breaking day for the U’s and Cameron Brannagan.

WATCH: Highlights of yesterday's game

  • Brannagan is believed to be the first player in Football League history to score four penalties in the same game. Records show that before yesterday the only players to net three in one match were Josh Wright of Gillingham (ironically) against Scunthorpe United in 2017 and Ken Barnes, for Manchester City against Everton in 1957.
  • The midfielder is the first U’s player to score four goals in one game since Tom Craddock achieved the feat in a 5-0 home triumph over Accrington Stanley in October 2012.

Read the match report here

  • United scored seven goals away from home for the first time since joining the Football League in 1962. They did it twice in their Southern League days, at Kings Lynn in September 1961 (7-2) and Gloucester City (7-1) in December 1952.
  • It was the first time they had scored seven in any league game since beating Walsall 7-1 at the Manor Ground in December 1965, while in Division Three.

Read also: Cameron Brannagan 'made up' after unforgettable day

  • United had not scored three goals in the opening 20 minutes since their 4-0 Capital One Cup win at Brentford in 2015/16. Liam Sercombe, Danny Hylton and Kemar Roofe put them 3-0 up inside 12 minutes that evening.
  • It is the third successive season that United have struck six or more goals on the road, after beating Lincoln City 6-0 in September 2019 and Crewe Alexandra by the same score line last April.
  • The last time the U’s were awarded three penalties in the same game was at Crawley Town in November 2019. Rob Hall scored twice from the spot and Anthony Forde once in the 4-1 EFL Trophy win.

Sources: RageOnline/The Guardian/@DavePritchard83