Gillingham 1, Oxford Utd 0

Oxford United’s unbeaten run of eight games came to an end as they were beaten by nine-man Gillingham in Kent this afternoon.

But United must be wondering how they managed to lose this match, as they missed chance after chance, and played against ten men for much of the second half, and nine men for the last five minutes.

Alfie Potter was United’s danger man throughout the afternoon, setting up a number of chances and missing several himself.

Potter’s first opportunity came when his lively run ended with a cut into the box, but his effort flashed across goal.

Simon Heslop fired wide moments later, while at the other end, United keeper Ryan Clark parried a strike from the impressive Jo Kuffour inside the box.

Potter had another half-chance cut out by Garry Richards.

Joe Martin was rightly booked for a reckless challenge on Damian Batt, and from the resulting free-kick, Potter was again thwarted by a scrambled clearance.

United were having a purple patch. Robbie Hall dispossessed Richards on the left, but his shot was beaten out by Gillingham keeper Ross Flitney.

Just after the half-hour, Potter hit a left-foot shot wide when well-placed, then set up Peter Leven with a dink into the box, but Leven was denied by Flitney.

Gillingham went in front on the stroke of half-time, and it happened while United were temporarily down to ten men. Deane Smalley had left the field for treatment to a head injury, and the home side took full advantage of the extra man.

Clarke did brilliantly to parry a Kuffour strike, but as the ball fell to Lewis Montrose, he took one touch before hammering the ball past the outstretched right hand of Clarke into the top corner from 25 yards.

It was a hammer blow after 44 minutes of good work.

In the second half, Gillingham were soon reduced to ten men as Martin’s reckless challenge on Hall resulted in a second yellow card.

This seemed to galvanise United and they had a good period, creating several more chances.

Simon Heslop was denied by a splendid save from Flitney, while Hall jinked down the left hand side, setting up Davis to drill a shot across goal.

United should haved levelled on 68 minutes, sub James Constable worked his way into the box, pulled the ball back to Potter, who once again had his effort blocked, this time at point blank range by Gillingham skipper Matt Lawrence.

You got the feeling it wasn’t to be United’s day.

Even when Gillingham were reduced to nine men, Montrose receiving a straight red card for a horrendous foul on Asa Hall on the half-way line, United could not break through.

Constable fluffed a chance late on, chipping over the bar when one-on-one with the keeper.

And that was that, as United’s eight game unbeaten run came to an end.

Oxford Utd : Clarke, Batt, McLaren (A Hall 78), Duberry, Wright, Heslop (Constable 55), Smalley (Philliskirk 68), Potter, Leven, Davis, R Hall. Subs not used: Whing, Kinniburgh.

Gillingham : Flitney, Richards, Whelpdale (Lee 65), Weston, Martin, Rooney (Frampton 74), Lawrence, Fish, Montrose, Nouble (Jackman 65), Kuffour. Subs not used: Payne, Gazzaniga.

Attendance: 5,819 (559 from Oxford Utd).