OXFORD United’s five-game winning streak was brought to an end as second-half goals from Marc-Antoine Fortune and Theo Robinson netted the points for Southend United.

It was a tough result to swallow for a home side who had made most of the running.

But having weathered the storm, their streetwise visitors took full advantage of the few chances they created to inflict only the third defeat on Michael Appleton’s men in 20 games.

The U’s were left to rue an evening where their cutting edge in front of goal deserted them, with Chey Dunkley’s first-half header which rattled the woodwork the closest they came to scoring.

It saw the gap to the Sky Bet League One play-off places stretched to seven points, which is likely to grow on Saturday while United are in Emirates FA Cup action.

An unchanged home side moved the ball well from the outset – no mean feat on a tricky playing surface.

Liam Sercombe fired the only early sight of goal wide, before the U’s went on to take a stranglehold of the game for a quarter of an hour.

Many home fans thought the deadlock had been broken in the 18th minute, when Chris Maguire’s 25-yard free-kick grazed the outside of the near post and nestled in the side netting.

Southend looked panicky whenever they pressured on the ball.

Several United attacks were launched on the back of interceptions and midway through the half Marvin Johnson latched on to a loose pass and charged forward.

He drove all the way into the penalty area and set up Toni Martinez, whose low shot was saved by Ted Smith.

The Southend goalkeeper was beaten on 25 minutes, when the home side came agonisingly close to scoring.

Dunkley powered a header from Chris Maguire’s corner, only to see the ball strike the inside of the far post.

Southend scrambled clear, but United spread the ball wide back to Maguire, whose centre was volleyed over by Martinez.

The confident hosts were playing some terrific football and on the half-hour mark a move which must have featured 25 passes ended with Ledson firing just wide from 20 yards.

Southend were on the rack, but finally stirred themselves in the closing stages of the half.

Simon Eastwood was forced into just one save, tipping over Simon Cox’s over-head effort after Ryan Leonard rose highest at a Michael Timlin corner.

Martinez had a goal correctly ruled out for offside as United looked to push on at the start of the second half.

The Spanish striker’s head was in his hands on the hour, when he barged Anton Ferdinand off the ball in the box but could not pick out a yellow shirt with the cross.

Kane Hemmings was brought on to play alongside Martinez, but within seconds United fell behind.

Johnson was caught out of position, giving Jason Demetriou time to measure a cross which Fortune headed in powerfully.

It was a sucker punch from which the U’s had just under half an hour to recover.

They had plenty of attacking talent on the pitch, but found Southend tough to break down.

Chances were hard to come by and when they did arrive, the hosts lacked composure.

Johnson looked the one player who really worried the visitors and ten minutes from time he had a big penalty appeal turned down by referee Darren England, who pointed for a corner.

United had struck late to beat Milton Keynes Dons on Saturday, but here they were on the receiving end.

Substitute Nile Ranger won a corner, from which Theo Robinson spun away from his marker to head into the net and confirm the three points would be heading back to Essex.

Oxford Utd (4-4-2): Eastwood, Edwards, Dunkley, Nelson, Johnson, Sercombe, Lundstram, Ledson, Maguire, Hall, Martinez.

Subs used: Hemmings (Sercombe 61), McAleny (Maguire 72).

Unused subs: Stevens, Long, Raglan, Ruffels, Rothwell.

Booked: None.

Southend Utd (4-4-2): Smith, Demetriou, Ferdinand, Thompson, Coker, McGlashan (Robinson 68), Leonard, Wordsworth, Timlin, Cox (O’Neill 82), Fortune (Ranger 73).

Unused subs: Bexon, Inniss, Amos, Nouble.

Booked: Demetriou.

Referee: Darren England (South Yorkshire).

Attendance: 7,277 (472 visitors).