OXFORD United were handed a second successive heavy defeat in Sky Bet Championship, falling to a 3-0 loss at Sheffield United.

Callum O’Hare gave the Blades a 10th-minute lead when he slid in following a long throw-in, while Tyrese Campbell doubled the advantage when he rounded Jamie Cumming not long after the midway point of the first half.

Jesurun Rak-Sakyi added the Blades third after being played through one-on-one before the hour mark on what was a tough evening for the U’s.

Des Buckingham made two changes to the side which lost 6-2 at home against Middlesbrough, with Przemyslaw Placheta and Dane Scarlett coming into the side for Elliott Moore, serving a one-game suspension after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season against Boro, and Mark Harris.

The changes allowed Buckingham to revert back to his favoured 4-3-3 set-up, but despite a promising start, United found themselves two goals down at the break.

The U’s had the first chance of the game when Tyler Goodrham sent a rising volley over the crossbar from a tight angle inside the penalty box.

With 10 minutes on the clock, the Blades took the lead. United failed to deal with a long throw into the box from Jack Robinson, and O’Hare was able to slide in and convert from Campbell’s touch back across the face of goal.

Placheta was a decent outlet down the left-hand side for the U’s, however when he cut inside onto his right foot just after the 20-minute mark, he directed an effort which sailed harmlessly over.

Just after the midway point of the first half, the Blades doubled their lead. Ciaron Brown lost possession just inside his own half, and Sydie Peck pounced onto the loose ball, passing to Gustavo Hamer, who played a delicious first-time ball round the corner for Campbell.

The striker was through on goal and rounded Cumming before applying the finish.

Cumming was then required to stop the Blades adding a third after half an hour.

A corner was played short and then across the box to Hamer, who burst into the left channel of the area and forced a strong low save out of Cumming.

Another corner routine tested the United defence, this time when Peck played a set piece across to Hamer on the right side of the box, and his driven effort was well pawed away by Cumming.

The Blades started the opening exchanges of the second period in a similar manner to how they ended the first half, and four minutes after the restart, O’Hare turned and shot from the edge of the area, but his effort drifted over the crossbar.

Minutes later, Rak-Sakyi span and shot from 10 yards out, but his powerful strike flew wide.

At the other end, the U’s had an opportunity to work something when Scarlett played a clever ball across the pitch to Goodrham, who opted to cut it back for Hidde ter Avest, but the Dutch defender’s effort from the corner of the box safely landed in the gloves of Michael Cooper.

Buckingham’s first alteration saw Matt Phillips replace Ruben Rodrigues, but the Blades added a third goal soon after.

Rak-Sakyi was played through on goal by Hamer, and the winger, with plenty of space and time, finished well past Cumming into the corner.

Campbell then shot across goal and was denied well by the feet of Cumming, while Idris El Mizouni came on for Placheta.

A triple switch with just over quarter of an hour to go saw Josh McEachran, Owen Dale and Harris replace Will Vaulks, Goodrham and Scarlett respectively.

El Mizouni tested Cooper with a dangerous effort on the right corner of the box, but the Blades goalkeeper was equal to it and made a strong save, but in reality, the pace and sting of the game had been well and truly taken out of it in the final half an hour or so.

Sheffield United (4-2-3-1): Cooper; Seriki, Souttar, Robinson, McCallum (Davies 88); Vinicius Souza, Peck (Shackleton 77); Rak-Sakyi (Brooks 63), O’Hare, Hamer (Norrington-Davies 77); Campbell (Oné 63).

Unused subs: Davies, Gilchrist, Burrows, Marsh.

Booked: Seriki.

Oxford United (4-3-3): Cumming; ter Avest, Long, Brown, Leigh; Rodrigues (Phillips 56), Vaulks (McEachran 74), Brannagan; Goodrham (Dale 74), Scarlett (Harris 74), Placheta (El Mizouni 63).

Unused subs: Ingram, Thorniley, Ferdinan, Goodwin.

Booked: Goodrham.

Referee: Leigh Doughty (Lancashire)

Attendance: 25,574 (TBC away)