Oxford United Women lost for the second week running as they went down 4-2 at Ipswich Town on Sunday.
The U's were twice in the lead, through Zoe Barratt and Leah Burridge, but two second-half goals for the hosts, the second deep into stoppage time, meant Ipswich jumped to the top of the table and left the U's in third place, four points adrift.
After a fairly even start to the game, United started to get on top and were rewarded in the 16th minute, when Ruby Sealed drove down the wing and crossed for Barratt, who finished expertly to rock the hosts.
The lead lasted for eight minutes before Shaunna Guyatt found the leveller, but United's heads didn't drop and just a minute later Burridge gave Oxford the lead for the second time with a quality strike.
The Tractor Girls were level again within a minute in this topsy-turvy game as Lucy O'Brien let fly from outside the box with a shot that Paris Sercombe was unable to keep out.
The crowd of 971 fans had been thoroughly entertained in the four-goal first half, but in the second it was Ipswich that took control. A Maria Boswell free kick was cleared by Jaime Gotch before Sercombe did well to come quickly off her line to keep out Natasha Thomas, while the U's made chances of their own, notably when Vitaliia Budaieva forced Natalia Negri into a smart save after a spell of Oxford pressure.
However, in the 72nd minute, Ipswich captain Boswell made the breakthrough to give Ipswich the lead for the first time as she swept home at the near post from a corner.
Try as they might, United were unable to find the leveller and were always vulnerable to the counter attack. In the 96th minute Ipswich broke from a spell of Oxford pressure and O'Brien was on hand to convert her second of the game and seal the points for Ipswich.
After the game, U's manager Sam Rose said: "It was a good game and a good advert for this level of football. It was the craziest first 25 minutes of a football match that I've been involved in. We were really pleased with the first half - obviously not pleased that we couldn't hold onto a lead, but pleased with how we went about it.
"There are differences between our programme and theirs. They are full-time players and it does show. The way we approached it was absolutely spot on. In the second half we got done on a corner and then we're chasing."
Oxford are at home next Sunday against Watford in the Women's FA Cup (2pm kick off).
UNITED: Sercombe, Gibson, Wiseman, Creaney, Barratt, Poole, Sealey (Trinder 87), Gotch, Oliver, Burridge, Budaieva (Lindbaek 80)
Unused subs: Howard, Richardson, Wellesley-Smith