English League Two

Craddock arrests U's slide

Tom Craddock hit four goals in a brilliant individual display as Oxford United bounced back from defeat at Port Vale to thrash Accrington 5-0.

Craddock struck a first-half hat-trick, his first for the U's, inside 24 minutes, and doubled his tally for the season with a fourth 19 minutes from time.

It helped to bring Oxford only their second win in the last 10 league games.

Strike partner James Constable held the ball up well to allow Craddock to drive in the opener after 12 minutes, the shot flying in under keeper Ian Dunbavin's body.

Accrington were guilty of some woeful defending when the ball bounced over two defenders' heads but Dunbavin came to their rescue by beating out Constable's blast.

It was one-way traffic in Oxford's favour and only a matter of time before further goals came.

Craddock cleverly took the ball away from Dunbavin on the left edge of the box and, with no one coming in to close him down, he drilled a low shot between the beleaguered keeper and his near post.

The 26-year-old striker then completed his hat-trick after 36 minutes, firing high into the net from 10 yards after Constable's initial shot was blocked.

Stanley made a bit more of a fist of it in the second half and U's keeper Ryan Clarke saved from Padraig Amond.

But the classy Craddock rolled in a fourth goal after 71 minutes after Constable had again done all the spadework, and Alfie Potter added a fifth at the far post moments later.