Oxford ended their three-game winless run in style as they breezed to a 2-0 victory at Lincoln in Sky Bet League One.
An early goal from Ciaran Brown, plus a goalkeeping howler from home custodian Lukas Jensen, saw the second-placed side dominate as they inflicted the first defeat of interim Imps boss Tom Shaw’s reign.
The visitors suffered a blow after just eight minutes when Sam Long had to be replaced by Stan Mills after injuring himself in fouling Jack Vale. However, they took the lead four minutes later, from their first attack, when Brown headed Cameron Brannagan’s near-post corner into the roof of the net.
Danny Mandroiu raced clear on an Imps counter-attack two minutes later, but with the Oxford defenders closing him down he opted to shoot from distance and saw his effort easily saved by James Beadle.
Lincoln goalkeeper Lukas Jensen palmed Mills’ effort wide midway through the first half, before Ruben Rodrigues fired into the side-netting for the visitors.
Jensen then expertly saved from Tyler Goodrham as Oxford began to run rings around the home side, with Mills also denied by Jensen just before the break.
A calamitous error by Jensen gifted Oxford their second goal after 64 minutes, when the Danish keeper attempted to catch Mills’ cross-cum-shot from the right but only succeeded in fumbling the ball into his own net.
City immediately responded, with Lasse Sorensen’s curler bringing a flying save out of Beadle, before Jensen tipped over from substitute Marcus McGuane late on.
