Still chances were hard to come by but as the clocked ticked down Dacres-Cogley picked out Jerome for a heading opportunity he nodded wide at the far post.

A goal then might have put doubts in Oxford’s minds but, ultimately, Wanderers offered too little to repair the damage of a tepid first-half performance which sowed the seeds of a defeat that will take some coming to terms with. 

Wanderers: Baxter; Jones, Almeida Santos, Toal; Sheehan (Iredale 66); Dacres-Cogley, Maghoma (Dempsey 48), Thomason, Ogbeta (Adeboyejo 66); Charles (Jerome 66), Collins. Substitutes: Coleman, Forrester, Morley.

Booked: Jones, Dempsey, Baxter, Thomason

Oxford United: Cumming; Long, Moore, Brown, Bennett (Leigh 87); Brannagan (McGuane 64); Rodrigues (McEachran 80), Goodrham; Dale, Harris, Murphy. Substitutes: Eastwood, McEachran, Bodin, Browne, Stevens, McGuane, Leigh.

Booked: Goodrham

Referee: Sam Barrott

Attendance: 70,472