A makeshift, injury-stricken, Oxford United lost 2-1 at Exeter[@opponent]Exeter City[/@opponent] this afternoon, as the Yellows' slump continued.[@news]622[/@news] United started the better side, but were undone on 14 minutes when Rufus Brevett became the first player in England to score in 2007. Sadly for Oxford, it was in the wrong net, as the Roof tried to clear a Dean Moxey cross. United had chances to equalise before half-time, with an Andy Burgess free kick going close, and Paul Jones had to tip a Burgess shot over.

The second half started with the home side looking stronger, with the strong wind driving into the faces of the Oxford team. Chris Hargreaves had a shot go narrowly wide, via a deflection, before Jamie Mackie latched on to a long ball from Jones and shooting under Billy Turley to make the score 2-0. Hargreaves had another shot deflected wide, as did Gavin Johnson, as Oxford tried to strike back. In the final minute of normal time United pulled a goal back as Jon Challinor handled Carl Pettefer's cross, and Burgess buried the spot kick. Even with the five minutes added time, this was too little, too late, and the Us slumped to their third defeat of the season.

United were forced into a number of injury-related changes, as both Rob Duffy and Yemi Odubade were suffering from thigh strains received in the Crawley game. This left Steve Basham as the only striker in the squad. John Dempster also started, drafted into the midfield, as Bash started up front alongside Burgess and Eddie Anaclet. Oxford's injury problems meant that they were able to name only four substitutes, and the first of those had to be used after just 25 minutes, as Basham hobbled off to be replaced by Johnson, while Dempster took Bash's place up front. United suffered further problems at half time, when Andrew Gunn was forced into his debut in place of the injured Phil Gilchrist. Josh Kennet became another debutant nine minutes from time, as Brevett hobbled off to complete a miserable afternoon for the former Plymouth player.

Today's referee was G Lewis, who also took charge of Oxford's scoreless draw at Kidderminster earlier this season. He was a busy chappy, booking seven players, including Gilchrist and Barry Quinn for fouls, Brevett for dissent, and Kennet for a foul within a minute of him making his debut, and before he'd even had a touch of the ball. The attendance was 4,750, of whom about 523 were in the away hovel. It was, needless to say, Exeter's best attendance of the season. We hope to publish a match report soon, maybe even one submitted by somebody else, for a change (hint, hint).

We will publish a round-up of today's other Conference matches later on this afternoon.