PATRICK Hoban and Alex MacDonald both scored as a youthful Oxford United side eased past Dagenham & Redbridge at the Chigwell Construction Stadium.

United handed senior starts to Robbie Cundy and AJ George, and named a further three teenagers on the bench as they secured a 2-0 victory in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy southern section quarter-final tie.

The visitors could not have started better as Hoban ended a 16-game wait for a goal just 30 seconds into the match, turning in Danny Hylton's cross.

And just under a minute into the second half, Alex MacDonald fired home a second as United secured their passage into the area semi-finals.

Head coach Michael Appleton made five changes from the side that drew at Braintree Town in the Emirates FA Cup on Sunday.

Cundy and George started at centre back and on the right-hand side of midfield, with Liam Sercombe, Danny Hylton and Chey Dunkley returning.

United, captained by Joe Skarz in the absence of the injured Jake Wright and suspended Johnny Mullins, could not have started better.

In the first minute, Hylton broke down the right and crossed for Hoban who, desperate for a goal, fired home emphatically with his first touch.

United looked sharpe in the opening stages, but Dagenham began to grow into the game and Ashley Chambers saw a free-kick deflect just wide.

Chambers then forced Benji Buchel into a smart stop on 23 minutes, before the United keeper brilliantly tipped Ashley Hemmings' effort round a post.

Oxford then ended the half on top, with MacDonald testing Mark Cousins in the Dagenham goal from 25 yards out, before Hylton shot tamely at the Daggers stopper on 40 minutes.

The U's started the second half as clinically as the first as just 54 seconds after the break it was 2-0. 

United broke down the right and Hylton played in Sercombe whose effort was blocked by Hemmings, but MacDonald fired in the loose ball through a crowd of players and into the bottom corner.

The hosts then went close to responding immediately, but Dunkley cleared McClure's looping header off the line.

United were comfortable and George caught Hemmings napping on 67 minutes, but Hoban's effort was well blocked by Josh Pask.

The visitors, hungry for more, went in search of a third, and Rose tried his luck from distance, while Hoban was inches away from connecting with a Hylton cross.

Dagenham refused to give in though and McClure had an effort deflect wide on 71 minutes, before Buchel saved Joss Labadie's effort from range.

Substitute Jamie Cureton then forced Buchel into a save with five minutes remaining, but United saw out the game comfortably.

Dagenham: Cousins, Passley, Pask, Obileye (Dikamona 37), Widdowson (Cureton 62), Chambers, Dunne, Labadie, Hemmings, McClure, Doidge (Mulraney H/T) .

Unused subs: O'Brien, Raymond.

Oxford Utd: Buchel, Gayle, Dunkley, Cundy, Skarz, MacDonald (Humphreys 82), Sercombe, Rose, George, Hylton (Ashby 70), Hoban.

Unused subs: Slocombe, Giles, Carroll.

Referee: Andy Davies (Hampshire).

Attendance: 1,011 (224 visitors).