OXFORD United breezed past Leyton Orient with a five-star display in their opening Papa John’s Trophy group game.

Karl Robinson fielded a strong starting XI and the U’s showed their class against the Sky Bet League Two leaders, who made 11 changes.

United finally scored before the break as John Mousinho found the net for the first time since February 2019, with Cameron Brannagan firing in an unstoppable fifth of the season.

Kyle Joseph and Stuart Findlay increased the lead either side of the hour mark, before Matty Taylor rolled home a much-needed fifth late on.

It means the U’s ended a difficult opening month of the season with back-to-back wins as they hit the ground running in Southern Group H.

Robinson named a starting XI full of stars as he made just four changes from Saturday’s win at Cheltenham Town.

It was not as if the outfield players who came in were untried youngsters, either. Taylor, Mousinho and Lewis Bate were promoted from the bench, with Ed McGinty replacing Simon Eastwood in goal.

James Henry and Billy Bodin started at right and left wing back respectively, while Jodi Jones and Oisin Smyth were omitted completely with United planning to send the pair out on loan.

The U’s were on the front foot from kick-off and took the lead inside four minutes, Mousinho arriving at the back post to head home Bodin’s delicious free-kick from the left.

Brannagan fired just wide from 20 yards shortly after, before Orient captain Adam Thompson flicked a header across the face of goal from Shadrach Ogie’s long throw.

Taylor looked lively and got in behind after 13 minutes, only for linesman Abasto to raise the offside flag a split-second before the No 9 fired into the bottom corner.

United were in control, but McGinty was called into action for the first time on the half-hour mark. Orient won possession high up and shifted the ball to Ruel Sotiriou, with the goalkeeper off his line quickly to make the save.

Orient stopper Sam Sargeant emulated his opposite number moments later, flying to his left to parry away Bodin’s curling effort.

Marcus McGuane then fashioned a chance from nothing as he flicked the ball to Joseph and took the return pass. The midfielder raced into the box and poked the shot just past the near post.

McGinty made another smart stop just before the break when he blocked Anthony Georgiou’s effort through the bodies, but United were not done yet.

Brannagan took it upon himself to increase the lead as he latched on to a poor clearance, exchanged passes with Bate and thundered an effort into the top corner from 20 yards.

Orient started the second half brightly and should have pulled one back when another Ogie long throw found its way to the far post, but Harry Smith could not connect with a cross-shot from six yards out.

United had the ball in the net again when Henry dispatched Taylor’s inviting cross at the far post, only to see another goal ruled out for offside.

It did not matter, as the hosts scored their third moments later. Henry sent a corner towards the six-yard box and Taylor again made first contact, heading the ball on for Joseph to convert on the line.

McGinty produced another good save from Georgiou, before United made a triple substitution as Gatlin O’Donkor, Alex Gorrin and Tyler Goodrham replaced Joseph, McGuane and Henry.

The U’s were soon 4-0 up, as Findlay nodded home his first for the club at the near post having seen a diving header brilliantly denied by Sargeant moments earlier.

All the evening needed was a goal for Taylor and the No 9 fired just wide from 20 yards, before seeing his next attempt from a tight angle saved by Sargeant.

The striker was not to be denied, as Orient gifted him the chance to get up and running for the season six minutes from time.

Taylor pounced on an under-hit backpass and rounded Sargeant, before tucking the ball away to complete a perfect night for United.

Oxford United (3-4-1-2): McGinty, Long (Golding 78), Mousinho, Findlay, Henry (Goodrham 64), McGuane (Gorrin 64), Bate, Bodin, Brannagan (Spasov 80), Taylor, Joseph (O’Donkor 64).

Unused subs: Eastwood, Sade.

Booked: None.

Leyton Orient (4-3-1-2): Sargeant, Sweeney, Thompson, Ogie, Wood (James 67), Clay (El Mizouni 67), Brown, Georgiou, Obiero, Smith, Sotiriou (Drinan 74).

Unused subs: Vigouroux, Happe, Smyth, Kelman.

Booked: Sotiriou.

Referee: Tom Nield (West Yorkshire).

Attendance: 1,374 (132 visitors).