Caretaker duo Richard Hall and John McGreal saw their first line up start well, scoring through Callum Harriott on three minutes.
The hosts responded well though, equalising and going ahead before the half time break.
Three further goals in the second half ensured Burton remained very much in the promotion race and the U's suffered their second heavy defeat in a week.
The U’s were looking to be solid at the back, especially in the early stages, but it was the hosts who were rueing a conceded goal first, with Callum Harriott scoring with the first shot of the game.
Gavin Massey got free on the right on three minutes and looked for the head of Chris Porter with his cross into the box.
A Burton defender got a decisive touch but it fell to Harriott, who drilled his low shot firmly into the bottom corner via the fingertips of keeper Jon McLaughlin.
That chance was the only time either side got any sight of goal in the opening fifteen minutes, and the next opening also came at the Burton end.
Harriott was involved again but his low cross was blocked before it could find Porter, who was in space as he made his way into the box.
On twenty five minutes, Burton were awarded a free kick after Harriott was harshly adjudged to have committed a foul and El Khayati put the set piece into the bottom corner.
In a half of few chances, the hosts went ahead on thirty three minutes, when Duffy’s shot was deflected past Jones to make it 2-1 at the break.
And only six minutes into the second half, Naylor got the final touch after Duffy had again had a shot deflected on the edge of the box for a Burton third.
The first U’s substitution came on the hour, with Marvin Sordell replacing Richard Brindley, who was playing his first game after a two month absence through injury.
Harriott then created a couple of chances, the first that Sordell put wide and then he himself missed the target.
Gavin Massey then made way for Sammie Szmodics but the youngster was on the pitch for less than a minute or two before it was 4-1 to Burton.
Akins had come on for the hosts and one of his first touches was a delightful sidefoot finish that gave Jones no chance.
And it was five ten minutes from the end, as Timmy Thiele nodded home at the far post after Naylor had flicked on a near post corner.
Sordell was denied a late consolation by a fantastic sliding block after he had rounded the keeper and sidefooted towards the goal.
The final whistle went on what was the second heavy defeat in eight days for the U’s, with Richard Hall and John McGreal having similar problems defensively as outgoing manager Tony Humes.