Oxford United were unable to get past Charlton Athletic despite the hosts playing much of the second half with ten men.
Andrew Shinnie set up Conor Washington for the opener before netting himself on the stoke of half time to double the Addicks lead.
Ryan Inniss was dismissed for Lee Bowyer’s side with 25 minutes remaining but the U’s were unable to find the net, despite having large spells of possession.
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Karl Robinson made two changes from the side that beat MK Dons last time out with Sam Long replacing the injured Rob Atkinson in defence, while there was a first start for Mide Shodipo on the left, who replaced Marcus McGuane.
Simon Eastwood started in goal behind a back four of Josh Ruffels, who was making his 275th Oxford appearance, Long, Elliott Moore and Sean Clare.
Alex Rodriguez Gorrin sat behind Anthony Forde and Mark Sykes in the middle with Shodipo and James Henry as the wingers. Matty Taylor started in attack.
The hosts headed into the game as in the in-form side with three consecutive wins and four clean sheets in succession, but it was the U’s that started brightly.
Comfortable on the ball, Karl Robinson’s side created a number of opportunities in the opening half an hour. Ruffels fired a free-kick which goalkeeper Ben Amos fumbled, but Long was unable to turn the ball home.
Sykes and Forde looked comfortable in midfield and the latter saw a long-range effort sail wide following a strong run through the centre of the park.
But, as has been the case for most of the season, the U’s were punished for not taking their chances. Shinnie saw the run of Washington and the striker slotted the ball past Eastwood to give Charlton the lead.
Oxford thought they netted an immediate equaliser through Taylor, but Sykes had strayed offside during the build-up.
Then, against the run of play again, Charlton added a second. Gorrin fouled Omar Bogle on the edge of the box and Shinnie struck the free-kick past Eastwood to double the Addicks lead.
After the restart, Moore found Taylor with a long ball but the striker was fouled just outside the box. Forde took the resulting free-kick but was unable to keep the ball down.
Despite the U’s possession, Charlton were rarely troubled. However, a second yellow card for Inniss gave the visitors a chance to reduce the deficit.
Dan Agyei found Henry but the winger was unable to keep his effort down before Taylor, Sykes and Moore were all denied as the U’s put the pressure on.
Agyei had another late chance but Oxford succumbed to a fifth defeat from seven games, leaning them in the bottom four ahead of a trip to Fleetwood on Saturday.
