Mark Harris’s 24th-minute goal has given Oxford United a 1-0 half-time lead over the Blues at the Kassam Stadium.

Town boss Kieran McKenna made four changes from the team which won 2-0 at Hull City on Tuesday with Cedric Kipre replacing Jacob Greaves at the heart of the defence, Jack Taylor in for Jens Cajuste, who didn’t travel having suffered an ankle injury against the Tigers, in midfield and Sindre Walle Egeli and Jaden Philogene returning on the right and left respectively for Kasey McAteer and Jack Clarke.

Aside from Cajuste, all those dropping out of the XI were on the bench, while Cameron Humphreys came into the 20-man squad.

Oxford made two changes from their 1-1 draw at Norwich City on Tuesday with wingers Filip Krastev and Stan Mills, the son of former Canaries full-back Danny Mills, coming into the team for Tyler Goodrham, who was a sub, and Hidde ter Avest, who was absent from the squad. Ex-Town left-back Greg Leigh was on the bench.

In the fourth minute, a long Darnell Furlong throw-in from the right missed everyone and bounced just wide of the post, although wouldn’t have counted given the lack of a touch on its way.

Town dominated the ball in the early stages but didn’t threaten until the 11th minute when Taylor’s pass over the top was taken down by George Hirst but the striker’s shot was blocked.

Within a minute, Walle Egeli swept it wide to Davis on the left and the full-back cut it inside to the Norwegian, who took a touch before hitting a low shot wide of Oxford keeper Jamie Cumming’s right post when he will feel he should have broken his Town duck.

The Blues continued to dominate, Davis winning a corner from which Azor Matusiwa failed to make much contact with a difficult volley on the edge of the area, much to the home fans’ amusement.

On 17, skipper Dara O’Shea and Oxford frontman Mark Harris collided as the ball was played down the middle, the Kassam Stadium support claiming a foul, but referee Matt Donohue showed no interest.

Soon after, Taylor unleashed a trademark effort from distance which deflected off a defender and looped over.

Town went even closer in the 22nd minute when Davis crossed from the left to the far post and Walle Egeli nodded down and off the outside of the woodwork.

It had been all Town but in the 24th minute the U’s went in front, profiting from a Blues error.

Matusiwa scuffed as he all-too-casually turned a pass from Davis back towards Christian Walton and inadvertently played the delighted Mark Harris in on goal. Walton saved the striker’s first effort but the Wales international hit the rebound into the empty net.

As the half-hour approached, goalscorer Harris tried to catch Walton off his line with a dipping effort from distance that the Town keeper claimed comfortably.

In the 31st minute, the Blues weren’t far away from a leveller, Davis crossing from the left and Hirst flicking across the face and just wide of the far post.

But Town were struggling to regain their earlier composure and in the 34th minute more loose passing on the edge of the area allowed Will Vaulks a strike at goal which Walton snaffled with confidence.

As the half moved into its final few minutes, the Blues began to play keep-ball once again but without looking at all dangerous.

In the first of two minutes of time added on, Philogene crossed from the left and Marcelino Nunez wasn’t too far away from getting his head on it, as he did at Hull on Tuesday to put the Blues in front.

Moments before the whistle, there was another self-inflicted scare at the back for Town, O’Shea this time playing a wayward pass on the edge of the area. The ball was moved wide to the right and Mills cut in and hit a shot which Walton saved down to his right and Matusiwa cleared the loose ball ahead of waiting Oxford forwards.

Town had started strongly and had opportunities to go ahead, Walle Egeli coming close to scoring his first Blues goal on two occasions.

But, as had been the case a few times earlier in the season, an individual error led to an opposition goal against the run of play, Oxford not having threatened until they went in front.

Town wobbled for the period after conceding before regaining control and dominating the final minutes of the half, although without looking like scoring, until making another mistake which might well have led to a second Oxford goal.

As so often, the Blues’ subs look set to have to play a major part in the second half if Town are to continue their winning away run.

Oxford: Cumming, Long, Brown, Vaulks, Helik (c), M Harris, L Harris, De Keepsmaecker, Mills, Currie, Krastev. Subs: Ingram, Placheta, Romeny, Prelec, Goodrham, Bradshaw, Leigh, Lankshear, Davies.

Town: Walton, Furlong, O’Shea (c), Kipre, Davis, Matusiwa, Taylor, Walle Egeli, Nunez, Philogene, Hirst. Subs: Button, Young, Johnson, McAteer, Greaves, Akpom, Humphreys, Azon, J Clarke. Referee: Matt Donohue (Manchester).

Photo: Matchday Images