ACCRINGTON 4

Billy Kee 36, Sean McConville 57, Jordan Clark 73, Luke Armstrong 90

OXFORD 2

Luke Garbutt 63, John Mousinho 89

ACCRINGTON Stanley picked up their first league win since Boxing Day in a toing and froing affair at the Wham Stadium.

Billy Kee, Sean McConville, Jordan Clark and Luke Armstrong were on target as the Reds edged out a resilient U’s side.

The opening half an hour was distinctly forgettable but things improved thereafter with Kee setting Paul Smyth away one on one only for the speedy striker to see his shot pushed out by Simon Eastwood, before the same player lashed ferociously wide from another Kee pass.

Ultimately Kee himself would provide the breakthrough with a terrific diving header to dispatch a brilliant McConville cross from the left.

Curtis Nelson tried to level things up with a curling strike which Jonny Maxted held but Stanley could have been further in front at the break when McConville’s header from a Callum Johnson cross clattered back off the post.

After the break the visitors came out like an express train and penned Stanley in with Marcus Browne and Jamie Mackie squandering chances to level.

John Coleman’s team made them pay, scoring a second against the run of play. Scott Brown found McConville on the left of the box and he got past his man and found the right corner with a left foot shot.

The cushion lasted just five minutes though as Mark Sykes crossed from the right and sub Luke Garbutt headed home at the far post to reduce the deficit.

Once again Stanley responded with McConville finding Smith down the left, he beat Nelson and crossed for Clark to nod home at the near post.

Karl Robinson’s team weren’t finished though, with Cameron Brannagan lashing over before they found a second goal. Stanley defended a corner poorly and John Mousinho headed in.

There were groans from the home fans as seven minutes of injury time was indicated – but they turned to cheers.

Armstrong thought he’d scored his first Football League goal when he met Clark’s cross and it was unclear whether Eastwood had clawed the ball off the line. Instead another sub, Liam Gibson, recycled the ball and Middlesbrough loanee Armstrong pounced.

It signalled a first three points of 2019 for the Reds, a first win in any competition since January and a seven point gap to the bottom four.

Stanley: Maxted, Johnson, Hughes, Richards-Everton, Donacien, Clark, Brown, Barlaser, McConville (Liam Gibson 84), Smyth (Luke Armstrong 85), Kee. Subs: Zanzala, Rodgers, Perritt, Conneely, Evtimov

Attendance: 2,095