New Oxford manager Gary Rowett enjoyed a winning start to his reign with a 3-2 victory over fellow Championship strugglers Cardiff.

Former Cardiff academy forward Mark Harris, centre-half Ciaran Brown and winger Przemyslaw Placheta scored Oxford’s goals at the Kassam Stadium as they raced into a three-goal lead on their way to registering a first victory in eight games.

Substitutes Cian Ashford and Callum Robinson grabbed two late consolation goals for the Bluebirds, whose winless run extended to nine matches.

Rowett, who replaced the sacked Des Buckingham, had watched United’s previous game, a 4-0 defeat at Leeds, from the stands and he made two changes to the starting line-up from that match.

Sam Long returned at right-back, with Ruben Rodriguez replacing Owen Dale on the wing.

Oxford had won their previous three league games on Boxing Day, but for Cardiff this has not been a particularly special time of year – they were winless in their last 10 Boxing Day fixtures.

The hosts began positively, with Placheta heavily involved on the right of midfield, but it was the Bluebirds who went closest to opening the scoring in the opening exchanges.

Chris Willcock’s right-footed shot from the edge of the box deflected off a defender and looped over goalkeeper Jamie Cumming but came back off the bar, with Cumming saving Yakou Meite’s follow-up effort at his near post.

A superb flicked pass by Tyler Goodrham gave Harris a difficult shooting opportunity 20 yards out, and it was not one of Harris’ best, the effort going out for a throw-in.

The contest remained scrappy until City created an opportunity out of nothing when Rubin Colwill crossed from the right and former Oxford winger Callum O’Dowda headed across the goal.

But the opening goal came at the other end as Wales international Harris converted Placheta’s low square pass from five yards out in the 41st minute for his first goal since August.

Brown’s emphatic downward header from Goodrham’s corner eight minutes into the second half doubled the lead.

Four minutes later Polish striker Placheta struck indisputably the game’s best goal, cutting in from the right before hitting a brilliant left-footed drive into the top corner, with keeper Jak Alnwick helpless to stop it.

Ashford pulled one back eight minutes from time and Robinson lashed high into the net in a crowded goalmouth in the fourth minute of stoppage time to make the game look closer than it had been.