Oxford United crashed to defeat against bottom club Stockport at Edgeley Park to end a bad week in miserable fashion.

Anthony Tonkin was sent off for a second yellow card midway through the second half, when the U’s were leading 1-0 and seemingly in control, and that precipitated a collapse as they lost for the third time in eight days.

Stockport levelled 13 minutes from time through Matt Paterson, and sub Greg Tansey drove in a long-range winner in the fourth minute of stoppage time.

It gave Stockport the double over Oxford, and was a massive blow to Chris Wilder’s team’s promotion hopes.

On a dreadful pitch, Craddock had fired the U’s in front early in the second half.

James Constable’s flick set Craddock free on the right for his goal.

He darted towards goal and then fired home low from 15 yards for his 11th goal for Oxford this season.

Goalkeeper Ian McLoughlin got something on the shot, but was unable to keep it out.

United had to play the last 24 minutes with ten men after Tonkin received his second yellow card of the match, and the inevitable red, for a foul on David Poole.

Stockport seemed to sense this was their chance.

Paterson equalised with a fine finish, as was Craddock’s, and deep into stoppage time, substitute Tansey tried his luck with a low 25-yard drive, and hit it beautufuly. The ball fizzed past Ryan Clarke’s right hand and into the bottom corner.

Yet Simon Hackney had had the chance to win it seconds earlier. He broke free on goal, and chipped the keeper, only to see Adam Griffin get back to clear off the line.

The pitch was in an appalling state, resembling a ploughed field between the two penalty areas, and leaving one to wonder what it must be like after an hour or two of rain.

Sale Sharks rugby union players are probably happy on it, but for a game of football, it was certainly not conducive to passing.

So both teams had to play it longer, to where there was a bit of grass and where controlling the ball was easier.

United were, surprisingly perhaps after two defeats, unchanged, as Chris Wilder gave players who had made mistakes at Lincoln a chance to redeem themselves.

The U’s began on the front foot, and Asa Hall bravely managed a shot as goalkeeper Ian McLoughlin raced off his line.

The keeper saved the close-range effort, then spilled it, and it was eventually cleared after what can best be described as a mess.

Simon Heslop was booked for an over-zealous tackle on County captain Paul Turnbull, and Anthony Tonkin was yellow-carded not long after for baulking an opponent’s run.

Chances were at a premium because the surface made it hard to create, or get moves going.

However, the visitors did combine well, with Tonkin overlapping on the left, for Hall to get in an angled shot, that Turnbull deflected for a corner.

And after several United players were involved in an eye-catching move, James Constable found space to try his luck with a left-footed shot that was blocked, and Tom Craddock planted his follow-up effort over the bar.

Tonkin must have had his heart in his mouth after he committed a late tackle, which a linesman spotted.

Having already been booked, he could have been in big trouble, but the ref let him off with a final warning.

County, fighting for their lives to avoid dropping down into the Conference, enjoyed a good spell just before half-time.

After some very disjointed play, by both sides, and errors aplenty, the Hatters found David Poole in space on the right, and his volleyed shot beat Ryan Clarke but drifted past the far post.

However, Craddock gave United just the start they were looking for at the start of the second half.

Stockport came forward ever more desperately, but Jake Wright and Harry Worley defended well.

Wright produced one outstanding block to stop Matt Paterson’s goalbound shot, and Worley, back at the club where he began his football, won just about everything in the air.

After going down to ten men, United brought on Alfie Potter, joining Simon Clist, who had just come on, and moments after arriving on the pitch, Potter cut in from the right and tested McLoughlin with a long-range drive that he comfortably saved.

But on 77 minutes, Stockport equalised.

Wright allowed the ball to bounce through to Clarke, but he was challenged strongly by Anthony Elding, and could only punch the ball out.

Tom Fisher might have thought about a shot himself, but squared it to Paterson, who turned the ball in first-time.

But worse was to follow in stoppage time.

Oxford Utd: Clarke, Batt, Worley, Wright, Tonkin, Heslop, McLaren (Clist 65), Hall, MacLean (Potter 68), Constable, Craddock (Hackney 80). Subs not used: Sangare, Midson, Eastwood, Payne. Booked: Tonkin, Heslop. Sent off: Tonkin. Referee: Rob Shoebridge (Derbyshire). Att: 4,119 (588 from Oxford).