DEFENSIVE strength has been key to Oxford United ’s strong start this season and skipper Jake Wright has his sights set on a fourth successive clean sheet tomorrow.

United have yet to concede in five hours of football so far this season, their best opening at the back since the 1981/82 campaign.

Wright was not born when the U’s put the run together, which began against tomorrow’s opponents, Plymouth Argyle.

The 26-year-old is delighted with the start, particularly considering two of the back four – Tony Capaldi and Michael Raynes – have come into the side for the first time.

He said: “We’re getting a really good partnership, Tony reads the game so well and he never gives the ball away.

“It’s the same with Raynes as well, we’re still getting to know each other and lads will make mistakes, but we’ll keep trying to do the right things.

“It helps that we get on well off the pitch – we want to do well for each other and long may it continue.”

A 2-0 victory against Southend United on Tuesday took the U’s top of npower League Two.

One of the most important features of the game, played against ten men for the final hour, was patience.

United took their time to wear down the Shrimpers and it paid off with two goals from Tom Craddock in the second half.

Wright intends to remind his teammates about ignoring the league table for the moment, but thinks the pattern of the game could be similar tomorrow.

He said: “You’ve got to be careful you’re not too confident, Plymouth aren’t going to just turn up and it’s going to be three points.

“It’ll be difficult and it will probably be likeTuesday, they will have 11 men behind the ball and we’ll have to keep passing and trying to break them down.

“If it takes 70 or 90 minutes then so be it, we’ve just got to keep doing the right things and hopefully the goals will come.

“I think we’re a fairly ground group but I will obviously keep everyone’s feet on the ground.

“We need to keep going, there’s 44 games still to go.”