MATTY Taylor’s homecoming fell flat as Scott Fraser hit a second-half hat-trick to see Burton Albion come from behind and beat Oxford United.

The new signing started and was involved as Cameron Brannagan struck just after the break to cancel out Jake Buxton’s first-half opener.

Anthony Forde provided the assist and the winger quickly bagged his first U’s goal to put Karl Robinson’s men in front.

But that was the highpoint for the home side, as Fraser stepped forward.

The midfielder bagged a 23-minute hat-trick to turn the game on its head and secure the points for the Brewers against an increasingly ragged United.

Taylor came straight into the starting line-up alongside Forde as Jamie Mackie and Jamie Hanson dropped to the bench, while there was more good news for the hosts with Tariqe Fosu fit to return on the bench.

United had impressed without delivering a cutting edge in defeat at Blackpool, but here they lacked the same sharpness from the outset.

Simon Eastwood had already made a smart low save to keep out Nathan Broadhead when Burton should have opened the scoring in the 16th minute.

A quick break saw Lucas Akins charge down the right in a three-on-two attack and he squared to Liam Boyce, who somehow missed the target from ten yards.

United briefly stirred themselves, but they looked flat-footed compared to their efforts at the weekend.

Eastwood was needed to make another save on the half-hour mark, turning John Brayford’s header round the far post at a corner.

But the goalkeeper was beaten from the resulting set piece, as Scott Fraser’s near-post delivery was looped by Jake Buxton’s header into the net at the unguarded far post.

United almost struck back immediately.

Cameron Brannagan and Ben Woodburn combined to send Taylor through on goal, but his dinked finish was kept out by goalkeeper Kieran O’Hara.

In stoppage-time Ruffels’s cross looked Taylor-made, but the striker could not get a telling touch six yards out, while O’Hara palmed away Cadden’s follow-up cross.

The interval appeared to come at a bad time for the U’s, but they picked up where they left off and equalised two minutes into the second half.

A ball over the top for Taylor held up in the turf, so he fed the overlapping Forde. His low cross was firm, but Brannagan confidently slammed in first-time from ten yards.

It got even better for the hosts nine minutes later. Dickie strode forward and played in Forde, who looked offside but with the flag staying down he took his time before calmly passing the ball past O’Hara and into the net.

The lead lasted just five minutes, though.

A ball into the United box caused chaos and after Dickie blocked a shot the loose ball fell for Fraser to lash high into the far corner.

The midfielder struck again nine minutes later, this time his effort from outside the box taking a deflection which snuck inside Eastwood’s right-hand post.

Fosu and Mackie came on, but Boyce came close to making it 4-2 with a header which struck Eastwood’s near post.

The reprieve was only brief, as Fraser completed his treble with a curling left-footed effort from 20 yards which went in off the post to make the points safe.

Oxford Utd (4-2-3-1): Eastwood, Cadden, Dickie, Mousinho, Ruffels, Gorrin (Hall 80), Brannagan, Henry, Woodburn (Fosu 71), Forde (Mackie 71), Taylor.

Unused subs: Stevens, Long, Moore, Hanson.

Booked: Gorrin.

Burton Alb (4-3-3): O’Hara, Brayford, Wallace, Buxton, Daniel, Quinn, Fraser (Sbarra 88), Edwards (Nartey 80), Akins, Boyce, Broadhead (Sarkic 65).

Unused subs: Bywater, Templeton, Hutchinson, Anderson.

Booked: Edwards, Broadhead.

Referee: Brett Huxtable (Devon).

Attendance: 6,111 (161 visitors).