Oxford head coach Des Buckingham was delighted with his team’s second-half performance as they beat Wigan 4-2 at the Kassam Stadium for their first win in six games.

He praised 20-year-old Tyler Goodrham who provided the icing on the cake with the fourth goal as the U’s moved back into the top six.

United’s other goals came from Josh Murphy, Cameron Brannagan and Ruben Rodrigues, with Brannagan also seeing a long-range shot smash against the bar.

Buckingham said: “We weren’t at our best in the first half.

“The pleasing thing for me was our response in the second half – and we’ve had players come on who have had a massive impact.

“You have to remember that when players have been out for a while it takes them time to get their match fitness and match sharpness back.

“But we have given them valuable game time now.

“At half-time we spoke about making sure we move the ball quicker and it was trying to give them clarity – simplifying things rather than complicating them.

“With players coming back we now have a lot more options and hopefully with four games unbeaten we can make this a bit of a run.

“Tyler Goodrham’s a wonderful young man who has grown massively.

“It’s a pleasure to watch him and to have a player here who is so bright and so mature for his age.”

Wigan had led through Jordan Jones’s 41st-minute shot, but their level dropped in the second half and Thelo Aasgaard’s second goal for the Latics late on proved not enough.

Wigan boss Shaun Maloney was unhappy with his team’s mentality.

Maloney said: “We were very good up until they scored and the mentality dropped.

“I put myself in the group because it’s all of us – I’ll change that mentality.

“There were two sides to our performance – and one I didn’t like.

“What I didn’t see at half-time and in the second half was an understanding of why we had been so dominant.

“We can’t take things for granted. As soon as we start to think we’re better than we are, we get hurt. You saw that in the second half.

“I’ve got some really good lads in the dressing room and some young ones who are learning.

“They have to understand that football is hard.

“As soon as you think you’re doing OK, other teams will hurt you and that’s what happened tonight.

“What we did with the ball was as good as anything we’ve produced this season.

“But that second half wasn’t. We’ve had second halves like that and games like that because of where we are as a club.

“It’s on me to change the culture at the club.”

Portsmouth boss John Mousinho felt the Sky Bet League One leaders “threw away” two points at Oxford.

Pompey came from behind at half-time to lead 2-1 – only for the U’s to snatch a point with a last-minute equaliser in a 2-2 draw.

James Henry’s 90th minute header after goalkeeper Will Norris could only parry a Mark Harris shot salvaged a point for Oxford and took them back into the play-off places.

Tyler Goodrham had fired Oxford in front before Pompey turned it around through Colby Bishop’s 15th goal of the season and a debut goal from Callum Lang.

Mousinho said: “You could break the game down into three parts.

“In the first half we were very poor. In the second half we were good and deservedly got in front and then there was six minutes of madness at the end.

“I felt the pressure was building and building and building from us, and we got the second goal which was fully deserved, then we threw it away at the end.

“My big message to the players at half-time was that we were not showing enough bravery on the ball and we were going backwards too often, playing into Oxford’s hands.

“We deserved to be up…we let ourselves down in not having enough attacking players in the right positions and we weren’t positive enough in the first half.

“But we turned that around. It’s just that, at 2-2 with five minutes to go we’ve not locked the game up enough and that gives us a flat feeling.

“The two goals we conceded – I thought we were awful.

“It’s obviously nice to see Callum score, that was why we brought him into the football club to make an impact, and he’s done that straight away.”

Oxford head coach Des Buckingham said: “The pleasing thing for me is that, regardless of the changes we had to make because of injuries – to Fin Stevens and Jamie Cumming – is how this group stays together and how hard they work.

“Portsmouth are a good team, you’re not top for no reason, and we knew they would come hard at us for goals in the second half.

“But the pleasing thing for me is that at 2-1 down heads don’t drop and we deservedly got a second goal.

“I’m extremely happy with the reaction we showed at 2-1 down.

“The two goals we conceded were two scrappy goals, but it’s always hard as a goalkeeper coming on at half-time. I don’t think Simon Eastwood was at fault for either goal, we just need to defend better.”

Buckingham was booked late on for protesting at referee Darren Drysdale’s decision in not awarding a penalty when Goodrham appeared to be brought down.

“That’s the first yellow card of my professional career,” he said. “I was very unhappy with some of the decisions. But I can’t have a go at players for a lack of discipline if I don’t show discipline myself.

“When I came in as manager my assistant Craig Short said to me how James Henry always pops up with important goals at important times.

“He’s a model pro and I was delighted to see the goal he popped in tonight.

“Overall, it’s a good point and one we can take into our derby against Reading on Saturday.”

Substitute James Henry headed a 90th-minute equaliser to earn Oxford a 2-2 draw against Sky Bet League One leaders Portsmouth in a game that burst into life in the second half.

Tyler Goodrham shot the U’s in front in the 45th minute, taking Marcus McGuane’s pass and firing low past goalkeeper Will Norris and into the bottom corner after a pacy break.

Colby Bishop prodded the ball home from a yard to level in the 69th minute after a scramble in Oxford’s box when grounded keeper Simon Eastwood appeared to have the ball under control but then lost it.

It was Bishop’s 15th goal of the season.

Callum Lang, making his Pompey debut after signing from Wigan just three days ago, came off the bench in the 62nd minute – and with 10 minutes to go he flicked the ball past Eastwood from 12 yards after poor defending to put John Mousinho’s team 2-1 up.

But Oxford snatched a draw which takes them back into the play-off places when Norris parried Mark Harris’ shot and Henry nodded in from close range.

Oxford boss Des Buckingham has urged his players to find their consistency after a 3-1 win at Carlisle.

The promotion-chasing U’s remain in the hunt after Mark Harris’ double and Tyler Goodrham’s effort at Brunton Park.

Alfie McColmont’s goal was a mere consolation for the relegation-threatened Cumbrians, but Buckingham’s charges are three points off the top three after a fourth victory in six games.

“It’s a big win for us,” said the Oxford manager.

“We’re obviously still short of bodies ourselves, but we’re slowly starting to get right.

“It’s about trying to remain consistent and if we do that the performances will come.

“It’s important with 20 games to go to get as many points as possible.”

Harris’ brace, with goals either side of half-time, took his tally to four in four, and Buckingham is pleased as punch his striker is getting the rewards after an 11-game goal drought.

He said: “Mark’s getting some reward for the efforts he put in for the spell he had when he wasn’t scoring.

“We’ve spoken in the dressing room about standards so we don’t get too high or too low with the performance or the result.

“Mark Harris’ attitude to that spell where he wasn’t scoring, he was creating, he was hitting the bar and the post and the keepers were making good saves. If he could continue doing that he would be scoring and it’s great to see those efforts hitting the net rather than the woodwork or the keeper now.”

Struggling Carlisle have won just one of their last 12 league games and boss Paul Simpson believes the difference has been the quality in front of goal.

He said: “They are a very good side. They’re a club that is gearing up to try and be promoted.

“When we didn’t make those opportunities count in the first half they started to get control of the game.

“The first goal was a set-play and it was a really simple thing where we don’t pick up the biggest centre-half on the pitch, he’s 6ft 4in, and he gets a free header. You go a goal down and you’re up against it and we were rocked a bit.

“The second goal is an absolute sickener to give that away when the striker runs through two centre-backs. If we had VAR it would be given offside.

“But we don’t, it’s down to the human eye. Whether it’s right or wrong is debatable, we don’t really know. We were chasing it after that.

“That was the difference, the difference in quality in the final third separated us. We’ve got in there and not been able to test the keeper enough.

“Things go against you when you’re down but we stuck at it, kept trying to give it a go. There were incidents where we should have done better and worked the goalkeeper more.”

Promotion-chasing Oxford kept up the pressure on League One’s top two with a convincing 3-1 victory at Carlisle.

The U’s ran riot as Mark Harris’ brace and a further strike from Tyler Goodrham did the damage at Brunton Park.

Alfie McCalmont pulled one back for the relegation-threatened hosts, but they ultimately slipped to a third defeat in four matches.

The game sprung into life five minutes before the break as Harris slotted home after Elliott Moore headed Cameron Brannagan’s corner into his path.

And within minutes of the restart the striker doubled his and Oxford’s tally with his fourth goal in as many games as he rounded the keeper after being played through by Fin Stevens.

The game was done and dusted in the 68th minute when Goodrham cut inside and expertly found the bottom corner.

McCalmont opened his Cumbrians’ account after some brilliant work from Luke Armstrong to keep the ball alive, but it proved too little too late for Paul Simpson’s strugglers as their poor recent run stretched to just one win in 12 league outings.

Oxford made it three wins on the trot in League One after beating Barnsley 3-1 at Oakwell.

Cameron Brannagan scored an early penalty to put Oxford in front and Jordan Williams’ own goal made it 2-0 just before the hour.

Devante Cole pulled a goal back for Barnsley with 20 minutes left but Tyler Goodrham sealed the points for the improving visitors late on.

Oxford, who started the season with a 2-0 defeat at Cambridge followed by a 5-1 Carabao Cup mauling by Bristol City, came into the game on the back of wins over Carlisle and Derby and they needed just eight minutes to take the lead here.

Marcus Browne was fouled by Mael de Gevigney inside the area and Brannagan slotted home from the spot.

Barnsley went in search of an equaliser but Andy Dallas skewed his shot off-target from a great position and Nicky Cadden fired just over.

Oxford also had their chances and Mark Harris and Stanley Mills both shot straight at Liam Roberts in the Barnsley goal before Adam Phillips was denied by James Beadle at the other end.

Oxford increased their lead 10 minutes after the re-start. Mills made a surging run down the right, reached the byline and sent over a low cross which Williams attempted to clear but succeeded only in turning the ball into his own net.

Barnsley were given a lifeline in the 70th minute when Cole pulled a goal back with a header from a Cadden corner but Goodrham ensured it would be Oxford celebrating the win after being set up by Gatlin O’Donkor.