Town’s six-game unbeaten run came to an end as they were beaten 2-1 by strugglers Oxford United at the Kassam Stadium. Mark Harris profited from an Azor Matusiwa error in the 24th minute to give the U’s the lead against the run of play. The Blues toiled having gone behind but levelled through Leif Davis’s excellent volley eight minutes into the second half, however, Town were caught short of numbers at the back as the U’s countered in the 77th minute, Przemyslaw Placheta restoring their lead, and the Blues were unable to find a second equaliser in the latter stages.

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.

Three minutes after the restart, Nunez hit the wall with a free-kick from much the same area he scored his two goals at QPR after Taylor had been fouled by home skipper Michel Helik.

The Blues hadn’t particularly looked threatening but in the 53rd minute, they levelled. Furlong won a corner on the right which Nunez sent to the 18-yard line just to the left and Davis volleyed with inside of his left boot into the net.

Having got on terms, Town began to put the U’s under pressure. Philogene cut in from the left and hit a shot which Cummings palmed wide for another corner on the right.

Davis, who coincidentally scored his first ever goal for the Blues at the Kassam Stadium in the game played in fog in January 2023, took the flag-kick and after it was half-cleared Nunez this time forced Cummings to block.

Town maintained their momentum, Taylor playing an excellent pass over the top for Hirst, who took it down but slightly too wide and Cummings came off his line to block his effort from a tight angle. The keeper needed treatment after the incident but was OK to carry on.

From the resultant corner, Matusiwa hit an effort into the ground and through to Cummings.

Oxford made their first changes in the 62nd minute, Mills and Mark Harris making way for Placheta and Lankshear.

The U’s almost handed a second goal to the Blues in the 66th minute, Walle Egeli playing a cross-field pass towards Philogene, Helik getting in the way but under-powering his header back to Cummings. Philogene reached the ball first and turned inside but lost his footing, allowing the grateful keeper to claim.

Town made a triple change as the game reached the 71st minute, Philogene, Hirst and Furlong making way for Clarke, Akpom and Ashley Young.

Two minutes later, Nunez struck the wall with another free-kick, referee Donohue awarding a goal-kick, much to Clarke’s amazement with the winger having let it run out of play and preparing to take a corner.

In the 75th minute, a long throw from the Oxford left was knocked on to Lankshear on the edge of the six-yard box but Walton had reacted quickly to come off his line to block. Moments later, Oxford made another double change, Goodrham and Ole Romeny replacing Krastev and Luke Harris.

And seconds after the change, the home side restored their lead. Brian De Keersmaecker cleared long following a Town attack, sending sub Placheta in behind Taylor and in on goal, the Pole confidently shooting low past Walton to his left.

Romeny struck wide from distance, then on 83 Young played the ball against Goodrham, claiming it had been handled and the Oxford sub brought it into the area on the left before stabbing towards goal, Walton making another sharp save.

Town, who were looking more likely to concede a third goal than score a second of their own, made two more changes, McAteer and Ivan Azon replacing Walle Egeli and Matusiwa.

The Blues began to get on top again and in the 86th minute Young cleverly found Akpom in the area, the on-loan Ajax man working it to McAteer, who sent it powerfully across the six-yard area but with no Town player far enough forward to make anything of it.

Two minutes later, the Blues seemed certain to score, Young playing in McAteer on the right and the Irish international cutting to the near post for Azon, who turned against the keeper. The loose ball wouldn’t fall to Taylor but Nunez was able to smash a shot goalwards, which rebounded out to Clarke, who worked his way into the area but his effort bobbled off a defender to Cummings.

In five minutes injury time, Young in open play and then Davis from a free-kick in a promising position on the left both found Cummings’s arms with a cross.

Moments before the whistle, O’Shea was found by a deep cross beyond the far post but sent the ball behind, much to the Irish international’s obvious frustration.

The whistle was greeted by huge cheers from the Oxford support, celebrating only their second Championship home win of the season.

Town can once again look back on not taking their chances when on top, then gifting opportunities to the opposition at the other end, a tendency they seemed to have put behind them in their recent run.

A result which sees the Blues remain fifth ahead of Saturday’s games when they seem set to drop back into mid-table and ends their run of away wins at three.

Town, who have still never won a league game away at Oxford, are next in action away at Blackburn Rovers in the restaging of the abandoned game on Tuesday evening.

Oxford: Cumming, Long, Brown, Vaulks, Helik (c), M Harris (Lankshear 62), L Harris (Romeny 76), De Keepsmaecker, Mills (Placheta 62), Currie, Krastev (Goodrham 76). Unused: Ingram, Prelec, Bradshaw, Leigh, Davies.

Town: Walton, Furlong (Young 71), O’Shea (c), Kipre, Davis, Matusiwa (Azon 84), Taylor, Walle Egeli (McAteer 84), Nunez, Philogene (J Clarke 71), Hirst (Akpom 71). Unused: Button, Johnson, Greaves, Humphreys. Referee: Matt Donohue (Manchester). Att: 11,307.

Photo: Action Images via Reuters