Match Report: League One – Fleetwood Town 2-1 Oxford United

Oxford United suffered a fourth defeat in five games as the U’s failed to beat Fleetwood Town for the eleventh time.

Elliott Moore scored his first goal for the club to bring the visitors in at half time level after Paddy Madden scored for the hosts, but a second-half header from Peter Clarke sealed the win for Joey Barton’s side.

Karl Robinson made just one change from the side that drew with Coventry last weekend, with Shandon Baptiste replacing Ben Woodburn who is away with Wales on international duty.

Simon Eastwood began in goal, with the back four of Josh Ruffels, Moore, Rob Dickie and Chris Cadden.

The U’s top scorer, Cameron Brannagan, began in midfield with Alex Rodriguez Gorrin, with Baptiste and Anthony Forde as the wide men. James Henry played central in the absence of Woodburn, with Jamie Mackie up top.

Despite results, the U’s have started brightly in recent games, but they were up against it at Highbury in the early stages and Eastwood was on hand to tip Josh Morris’s early effort wide.

Dickie looked solid at the back against a threatening Cod Army attack, but the hosts found the net after just fifteen minutes. Jordan Rossiter saw his effort strike the post, but Madden tapped home his fifth league goal of the season.

The U’s protested what they thought was a foul on Baptiste during the build-up, but referee Trevor Kettle waved away the claims.

But the U’s, who have conceded the opener in six of their last seven games, began to get back into the game as Brannagan struck a volley wide.

Oxford were getting themselves back into the game and were level midway through the first half. Forde’s corner was cleared, but the former Rotherham man whipped in a cross which was met by Moore to score his first goal for the club since his arrival from Leicester City.

Mackie was unable to turn home a Cadden cross as the visitors ended the first half on top, but both sides would be relatively happy with their first-half displays.

But the break gave Fleetwood respite, and they began the second half the way they started the first. Moore’s clearance hit Dickie, narrowly avoiding an unfortunate own goal before Kyle Dempsey was denied by Eastwood.

Wes Burns then clipped the top of Eastwood’s post as the hosts began to assert their dominance.

The U’s were against the ropes, but a Henry header was saved by Matt Gilks, despite the flag being raised.

Ruffels then saw his header saved before Henry fired wide as the U’s continued to search for their first-ever win against the Cod Army.

But, inevitably, eleven minutes from time the hosts netted what proved to be the winner.

Oxford dealt with a corner, but Lewie Coyle crossed back into the mix allowing Clarke to head home.

Oxford failed to regain any momentum, and they suffered a ninth defeat in eleven against Fleetwood, leaving them without a win in five games.