Fleetwood Town 2 Oxford United 0: Goals in each half make it three straight league wins

The visitors were second best throughout as Joey Barton’s team notched a third straight League One success.

From the moment Jayson Leutwiler saved an Oxford penalty in the 10th minute, Town bossed proceedings and kept another clean sheet

Barton had made four changes to his starting line-up with Jay Matete ruled out through injury, while Mark Duffy, Paul Coutts and Paddy Madden had to be content with places on the bench.

Glenn Whelan was back in as skipper with Callum Camps, Sam Finley and Barrie McKay also returning.

There was a dramatic start to the game as the hosts fired themselves in front after only 45 seconds.

Wes Burns touched the ball to Camps and he chested down before curling a volley past keeper Simon Eastwood from the edge of the box.

Camps went close again two minutes later before Oxford fluffed a gilt-edged opportunity to even it up in the 10th minute.

Charlie Mulgrew felled Matt Taylor inside the area and referee Robert Lewis hesitated before deciding to award a penalty.

However, Leutwiler was the Town hero as he superbly saved skipper James Henry's spot-kick.

Camps was at the heart of everything for Town as his impressive start continued with a well-struck drive which Eastwood gathered well.

It took a while for Oxford to truly get going but they had done so by the half-hour mark when QPR loanee Olamide Shodipo’s 20-yard strike was parried away by Leutwiler.

In contrast, the second half had a much cagier start with both sides sizing up one another in the early stages.

The conditions started to play more of a part as well with the wind picking up and the rain swirling around.

Nevertheless, the hosts stuck gamely to their task with Danny Andrew’s 25-yard half-volley only just clearing the Oxford crossbar.

Ched Evans also tried his luck from distance but Eastwood was equal to the task.

Barton made a double switch with 20 minutes left, bringing on Madden to freshen up the attacking options and Coutts in a clear bid to shore up in front of the back four.

It was Madden who pounced to all but seal Town's victory with 14 minutes to go, lashing home from 15 yards after Evans had flicked on a cross from Tom Edwards.

That effectively made it game over with the visitors offering little in the closing stages as Town sailed home.

Fleetwood Town: Leutwiler, Edwards, Mulgrew, Connolly, Andrew, Burns, Finley (Coutts 71), Whelan, Camps (Duffy 78), McKay (Madden 71), Evans. Subs not used: Cairns, Morris, Saunders, Holgate.

Oxford United: Eastwood, Clare, Moore, Gorrin, Ruffels, Long, Forde (Hall 85), Kelly (Agyei 74), Henry, Shodipo (Cooper 74),Taylor. Subs not used: Stevens, Sykes, Mousinho, Elechi.

Referee: Robert Lewis.

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