Oxford United visited league leaders Sunderland this afternoon and fell to a 2-0 defeat thanks to a goal in each half. Jobe Bellingham opened the scoring in the 16th minute, while Wilson Isidor scored the Black Cats' second after 61 minutes.
United made just one change to the side that drew with Derby County on Tuesday, with Mark Harris coming back into the side in place of the injured Siriki Dembélé, with Will Goodwin Harris's replacement on the bench.
The game was under 23 seconds old when the sprinklers in the Sunderland half decided to make their presence felt. Nine minutes later a Patrick Roberts run was stopped illegally on the edge of the United area and Roberts stepped up to delivery the set piece himself, forcing Jamie Cumming into an excellent save, full length to his right to turn the ball around the post.
The next chance for the home side came in the 14th minute, when Isidor headed just wide when he should perhaps have hit the target. Two minutes later, Bellingham showed him how it's done, heading past Cumming from Trai Hume's left-wing cross to open the scoring.
Sunderland continued to make the running and Cumming was called into action again in the 24th minute to keep out a Chris Rigg effort.
It wasn't all Sunderland, though, and Oxford did look dangerous on the break, especially on one occasion when they had three against two, but Dane Scarlett was well tackled before he could get a shot away. Idris El Mizouni also had a go from distance but his shot was an easy take for Simon Moore.
It was important that Oxford didn't fall further behind before the break, so a Cumming save from Isidor was a key intervention in achieving that aim.
United rang the changes at half time, with Greg Leigh replacing El Mizouni and the side changing shape to a back five for the first time. One Leigh cross almost caught out Moore, with the keeper doing well to prevent the ball crossing the line.
Almost immediately Sunderland turned defence into attack as Bellingham worked the space for a shot that clipped the top of the bar before Roberts tried a shot that was straight at Cumming.
Oxford had done well to ride the storm, but just after the hour Sunderland doubled their lead with an exquisite finish from Isidor, who swivelled and hit a first-time volley in off the far post, giving Cumming no chance.
A triple substitution with 15 minutes remaining gave Hidde ter Avest his first taste of action in an Oxford shirt, followed shortly after with Will Goodwin making his first appearance of the season.
A 2-0 defeat at the league leaders is by no means a disgrace, and with two home game to come, against Swansea City on Saturday and Hull City the following Tuesday, United have a great opportunity to put it behind them. Make sure you're there to cheer the boys on.
UNITED: Cumming, Brown, Vaulks (McEachran 74), Moore, Harris, El Mizouni (Leigh 46), Nelson, Goodrham, Rodrigues (Sibley 74), Kioso (ter Avest 74), Scarlett (Goodwin 80)
Unused subs: Ingram, Long, Ebiowei, Dale
Attendance: 40,654
Report: Martin Brodetsky; Photos: JasonPix, Steve Edmunds, Darrell Fisher
