Vipotnik struck in the 14th minute, rising to meet Josh Tymon’s delivery to score his 12th goal of the season and hand Swansea a crucial away victory in a fixture between sides battling at the wrong end of the Championship table.
Matos was quick to highlight both the quality of the goal and the striker’s overall contribution, insisting there is still more improvement to come.
“The goal came from a second phase of a set piece, which is really important, so I was really pleased with the goal,” said Matos.
“The effort Zan put in the whole game was great. We all love him and there’s more to come out of him I think.”
The Swans head coach also praised his side’s mentality after back-to-back away defeats at Coventry and Stoke had tested confidence over the festive period.
“We had the right mentality on the pitch and the right desire,” he added.
“We’ve had two difficult away games, Coventry and Oxford, and this was a massive win for us.
“The concentration of the team was brilliant.
“I think there were moments in the first half where we struggled a little bit, but in the second half we did really well with our defending and were very concentrated, putting pressure on them and keeping compact at the same time. We also had moments with the ball.
“I liked a lot of things about us in terms of performance and mentality, there are still things to improve of course.
“It’s not about having a first away win for me, it’s about the team having the right mindset. We need to keep pushing and moving forward.”
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Vipotnik’s importance to Swansea was underlined by the fact he completed the full 90 minutes at the Kassam Stadium, with Matos short of attacking options due to injuries.
Adam Idah missed the trip with a hamstring problem, while Liam Cullen was also unavailable after picking up a calf issue in the defeat at Coventry.
Vipotnik’s work rate and influence did not go unnoticed by his manager.
“The effort Vipi (Vipotnik) put in was unbelievable today so I am really happy with him,” said Matos.
“We are really happy with Vipi.”
The striker’s form has inevitably sparked speculation about possible January interest, with Premier League clubs reportedly monitoring his progress.
Matos, however, played down any talk of a move and reiterated his belief in the forward’s development at Swansea.
“I think he has a lot to come out of him and I think we can help him with that,” he said.
“We all love him so let's keep it like that.”
With Swansea set to face West Brom on New Year’s Day and Millwall shortly afterwards, Vipotnik is likely to shoulder a heavy workload again, although Matos offered a more positive update on Cullen’s condition.
“He felt after the [Coventry] game a little bit of soft tissue in the calf, not massive, but he was not available today,” Matos said.
Oxford, meanwhile, were left frustrated after failing to replicate the energy they showed in their Boxing Day win over Southampton.
Interim head coach Craig Short admitted his side never truly got going and felt Swansea’s approach caused them problems from the outset.
“After 15 minutes, probably even less than that, I was thinking I shouldn’t have gone with the same team,” said Short.
“Our physical stats against Southampton were the best we’ve had all season but I wanted to go for two wins, not maybe grind out a draw, especially with the two games we’ve got coming up.
“I wanted to make sure we started on the front foot again, and for the five players who came in for Boxing Day I wanted to build on their confidence as well.
“But we never really got to grips with it, and I thought their press was very aggressive.
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“We didn’t take care enough after working so hard to turn the ball over, or we chose the wrong pass.”
Short conceded Oxford were second best on the night and acknowledged his squad were feeling the effects of a demanding schedule.
“They’re all flat in the dressing room, we’ve got to give them a lift – that’s the challenge in the next few days.
“The lads themselves know they didn’t do themselves justice.
“If we’d scored at the end it would have been nicking a draw really because they were the superior side tonight.
“It’s been a busy and stressful few days for me but I’m getting ready to go again at Ipswich.
“We’re being tested physically and mentally and we’re in a massive battle – but we knew that.
“We lost out physically in duels tonight, which disappointed me.”
