Oxford United 1 Bury 2

Oxford were handed a harsh lesson in their first Football League home game in just over four years, when they undeservedly lost to a professional, some might say cynical, Bury side. The visitors eventually won with virtually their only chance of the second half, as they caught United on the break and Ryan Clarke was beaten by Ryan Lowe with just over ten minutes remaining. Bury had taken the lead when Tom Lees headed home from a Peter Sweeney free-kick, harshly awarded against Jake Wright, but Oxford equalised just five minutes later when James Constable teed up Jack Midson, who could hardly miss from just eight yards.

For the third game in succession Chris Wilder named an unchanged line-up as Oxford looked to capitalise on the momentum garnered from their 6-1 thrashing of Bristol Rovers in the League Cup first round on Tuesday. With the game finely balanced at 1-1, ten minutes before Bury scored their second, Wilder made a double substitution, bringing on the much-needed pace of Alfie Potter and Sam Deering in place of Midson and Matt Green. Two minutes after going behind Mitchell Cole came on for his United debut, replacing the superlative Dannie Bulman.

Oxford started the game brightly, with Asa Hall testing Cameron Belford after just four minutes. Three minutes later Constable had a shot on the turn that smashed against the Bury crossbar, temporarily silencing the Bury drum, which was pretty much the only sound reverberating from the small number of away supporters. The drum fell silent again after quarter of an hour, when Constable managed to block a clearance from the Bury 'keeper, who was thankful to see the ball rebound over the bar.

The first of a number of poor refereeing decisions led to Bury's opener, when Wright and Lowe collided and the match official awarded the visitors a free-kick. Sweeney's delivery was excellent, but the United defence will be wondering why Lees was allowed a free header that he buried past Clarke. Andy Bishop had a chance to extend Bury's lead three minutes later, but his lob went over both Clarke and the crossbar. Then on 31 minutes Constable charged into the penalty area, drew Belford towards him before passing for the unmarked Midson to tap the ball home.

The match developed into an end-to-end contest, with Clarke saving well from Lowe just seconds before Constable sliced wide a chance that he would normally have scored with ease. Just before the break United almost took the lead; Belford again denied Constable, and Midson's follow-up attempt was headed off the line. It would have been the visitors who were the happier to hear the half-time whistle.

United started the second half where they'd left off, and the Bury goal survived a succession of corners and half-chances. The closest that Oxford came in this opening spell was from a Midson thunderbolt that had Belford arching backwards to tip the ball over the bar. Both Damian Batt and Constable had shots that squirmed across the face of the goal, and there was another scare for Bury when Deering nipped in to beat Belford to a back-header and flick the ball goalwards. Deering could have won a penalty for United when he was barged in the back in the penalty area, but he went down too easily for the referee's liking.

This was when United were given their Football League lesson, as Bury rather too easily cleared a Deering free-kick. The ball fell to Clarke, whose clearance was returned with interest, leaving three Bury strikers facing two United defenders. Andy Howarth was first to the ball and his pinpoint pass set Lowe clear to take the ball past Clarke and slide it into the net. United poured forward in the pouring rain looking for the equaliser that their performance deserved, and both Constable and Hall went close, but were left rueing their luck when the whistle went after four minutes of stoppage time.

The lesson, if it isn't obvious, is that you have to take your chances, because otherwise you will be punished. The other lesson is that you need to keep your defensive discipline and not all pour forward to support the strikers. The other other lesson is that while good football might be entertaining and pleasing on the eye, it's goals that win matches, so that (to paraphrase Bury manager Alan Knill) while Oxford may have footballed Bury off the park in the end it leaves the Us still looking for their first Football League win since 15 April 2006.

Today's referee was