Covid-hit Oxford United made light of their illness and injury crisis by overcoming Fleetwood 3-1 at the Kassam Stadium thanks to a flying start.

The U’s, without 13 players after seven tested positive for Covid-19 last Saturday, stormed into a two-goal lead inside 13 minutes.

Centre back Luke McNally nodded in Herbie Kane’s corner after five minutes.

Eight minutes later midfielder Cameron Brannagan controlled the ball on the edge of the area and fired a low drive past Alex Cairns to double the lead.

Fleetwood’s problems increased as striker Joe Garner had to leave the field with a shoulder injury.

But Joe Matete pulled a goal back four minutes before the break when he finished off a pacy run by prodding a shot past emergency loan keeper Connal Trueman, who had been signed just a few hours earlier.

Nathan Holland scored a classy individual goal in the 68th minute, cutting in from the left past three players and firing in off the far post, to put the game beyond Fleetwood’s reach.