MATTY Taylor was thrilled to get his link with James Henry up and running again as Oxford United’s No 9 ended his long wait for a goal.

The striker bagged a double in Saturday’s 4-1 win at Accrington Stanley, which were his first efforts since February.

While the barren run only covered seven games, it was his longest since joining the U’s 13 months ago.

STATS: How does Matty Taylor compare to Oxford United's strikers of the past?

Despite that, he now has 19 goals in 41 appearances since returning and is key to United’s hopes of success this season.

Anthony Forde crossed for Taylor’s second goal at Accrington, but the first effort – a thumping strike from just inside the box – came via a pass from Henry.

It was the eighth time the pair had combined since the start of last season, making it the most productive supply line in England’s top four divisions in that period.

Taylor said: “I said to him when he came over ‘I need you to pass me the ball to score’.

“Jamo does it week-in, week-out and every day in training.

“I just locked eyes with him and knew he was going to put it there.

“It makes my life a whole lot easier. Thankfully I put it away.

“Fordey has got unbelievable quality as well, that’s why he’s on set pieces when he’s on the pitch.

“He put it on a plate for me again and thankfully I just managed to head it back from where it came from and it just got over the line.

“That’s the quality we’ve got on the pitch. I just get in there and poke them in.”

Taylor’s first goal was a real beauty and came after he missed a good chance in the first half.

He had only had one sight of goal in each of the opening two Sky Bet League One matches of the campaign, but boss Karl Robinson knew it was just a matter of time.

He said: “That to me is a big thing, getting your striker off the mark.

“He’ll tell me now he’s got two in three, which is a great strike record.

“We were laughing at half-time. He said ‘gaffer, I don’t know what’s going on’.

“I said it was what happened when he first came to the club. He missed a lot of chances, he got injured, he started slow.

“He said it will probably take a worldie or a bit of luck to get me off the mark – and that was a worldie.

“It was a phenomenal pass, an outstanding take and an unbelievable finish.”

The double left Accrington boss John Coleman with a powerful sense of déjà vu.

He said: “I’m really disappointed how Matt Taylor scored them, because he hadn’t been in the game.

“It was similar to the game at their place last season, when he came off as man of the match and he wasn’t in the game. But that’s what good strikers do.”