Oxford began the month with a 1-1 draw at Accrington. The U’s took a second-half lead through James Henry but conceded with only a few minutes remaining in the match.
The U’s were then due to face Barnsley at home but the match was postponed due to a frozen pitch.
Ahead of their next match at Sheffield Wednesday, manager Karl Robinson confirmed that midfielder Oisin Smyth had spent time on trial at a League Two club ahead of a proposed loan move in January. The 22-year-old has managed just two appearances since his arrival.
With Smyth looking likely to leave, the U’s were dealt another midfielder blow after Alex Gorrin picked up a knee injury. The Spaniard missed much of last season with an ACL injury, too.
Following Gorrin’s injury, the U’s then confirmed the signing of youngster Stephan Negru from League of Ireland outfit Shelbourne. The 20-year-old defender has turned out nine times for the club, including in the FAI Cup final.
On the pitch, Oxford kept their unbeaten run intact but will be disappointed after leaving Sheffield Wednesday with just a point. Henry missed a great opportunity from six yards before Josh Murphy saw a stoppage-time penalty saved at Hillsborough.
However, that unbeaten run came to an abrupt end with a 3-0 defeat at Ipswich. The U’s conceded twice in the first half despite creating several opportunities themselves, and allowed a third late on.
Despite the setback, Oxford bounced back and won for the first time in December with a confident 3-1 victory over Charlton. Billy Bodin opened the scoring before his deflected strike went in off Matty Taylor to make it 2-0. The Addicks did reduce the deficit after the break but Gatlin O’Donkor sealed the win late on.
