ROB Hall is hoping a goal blitz will see him graduate from fringe player at Oxford United into a regular starter.

The winger has bagged five goals in his last three appearances – matching his tally for the previous two injury-hit campaigns.

After missing most of last term following knee surgery, Hall was well aware he would begin this season playing catch-up.

His seven starts so far have come in cup competitions, when head coach Karl Robinson has rotated the line-up.

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But Hall has made big strides in recent weeks, even setting aside his goal tally, and the 26-year-old is hoping he has proved himself to get in the frame for matches in Sky Bet League One.

He said: “Everyone’s got their own rhythm and I’ve found mine.

“I just want to push on now and become more of a regular than just a squad player.

“No-one wants to be a squad player but you have to have them.

“I feel like I’ve played my part as that up to now and I just want to kick on because I feel ready.”

Hall is closing in on the sort of form he was producing at his peak for the U’s three seasons ago.

It is a huge boost to Robinson, who had concerns about whether the winger was capable of hitting those heights again after a slow start.

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But he has been hugely encouraged of late – and it is not the goals which have caught his eye.

The U’s boss said: “Against Rochdale (last month) when he came on he got kicked three or four times.

“We all felt ‘hang on, he’s back’. There was something there in the West Ham game as well where you think ‘he might still have it’.

“He’s worked hard, lost weight and injected power into his legs.

“There’s not many better than Hally when he’s at his best.”

With no game this weekend, United’s players are not due back at training until Monday.

But Hall will not be taking a break.

He said: “Whether the gaffer gives the time off to me or not I’ll still come in and do my stuff.

“I feel like I’m progressing in each game and you just want to play.

“That’s all I’ve wanted to do for my whole life.

“The break’s come maybe at a bad time for me, but for the other boys it’s come at a good time because they’ve put in a real shift.”