THOSE days of wondering when Oxford United might finally win on the road seem a distant memory.

After taking a single point from their opening four away matches in Sky Bet League One, the U’s have responded emphatically with back-to-back victories on their travels for the first time since January.

Saturday’s game at Burton Albion will not leave a lasting buzz like the scenes at Sheffield Wednesday, but that reflects the manner of the two triumphs.

The win at Hillsborough was all about the emotion, whereas United were cold and calculated in keeping a side who began the day above them in the table at arm’s length.

Karl Robinson: This was better than the 5-1 win at Burton last season

The U's, like all of us, have had to adapt during the last 19 months and the challenges keep coming.

They have coped well in Karl Robinson's absence, but news of Jack Stevens coming down with Glandular fever felt like another setback that could derail United.

Situations like this are exactly the reason Simon Eastwood was given a three-year contract and the experienced goalkeeper looked at home on his first league appearance for 11 months.

Of course, he was helped immeasurably by those in front of him – particularly the mighty Elliott Moore.

A couple of us in the press box were counting the number of clearing headers from the U's skipper early on. We quickly lost track.

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Charlie Lakin’s goal was the only shot on target by an opposition player in United's two matches this week and that is not just a nod to the back four.

Matty Taylor continues to show he is much more than just a goalscorer and gave the Burton centre backs a tough time, chasing lost causes and using the ball intelligently.

We drool over Herbie Kane's vision, but yesterday showed again how that applies out of possession.

The Barnsley loanee's reading of the game allowed him to nip in and break up attacks seconds after the hosts won the ball, laying the foundations for United's dominance in midfield.

Alongside him, Cameron Brannagan continues to show the all-round attributes that will surely take him higher – if he can add more goals to his game he will be better still.

WATCH: Highlights of yesterday's game

He was thwarted by two excellent Ben Garratt saves in the first half and we feared the U's may fail to build on a 1-0 lead, something we have seen many times this season. Nathan Holland's strike soon eased those concerns.

It is nice to see United in the play-off places, but their run of four wins from five matches is more important at this stage of the season.

They are starting to string together the results to reflect their talented squad and previous campaigns have suggested they only get better under Robinson.

Only time will tell us if that happens this time around, but all the ingredients are there.