Oxford 1, City 0

THERE have been many appealing statistics flying about in the first couple of months of City's season.

The longest unbeaten start in club history; the best defence in the division; the amount of possession they are enjoying most weeks.

But there was one more brutal figure that told the story behind the first setback of Stuart McCall's second coming.

That was the big fat zero in the column marking the number of shots on target.

Stats, as they say, can mean anything – but there is no disputing the fact that on this occasion, nothing meant everything.

Even with a wonky radar, City might still have left the Kassam Stadium with a share of the spoils. This was no one-sided argument at Oxford's three-sided home.

Had Colin Doyle not taken a couple of steps to his right before Chris Maguire curled a precise free-kick round the wall and into the opposite bottom corner of the net.

Or had referee David Webb shown the courage of his convictions to point to the penalty spot for a second time when Romain Vincelot was clearly nudged over by Charlie Raglan in the fourth of those four added minutes.

But put bluntly, the difference between a first defeat and a 13th game unbeaten was that absence of a clinical touch in front of goal.

Simon Eastwood was never tested, other than a scramble at Billy Clarke's feet when Nicky Law put just a bit too much on his through-ball.

The goalkeeper who endured a difficult time in his half-season loan at City in 2009 under McCall mark one has matured a lot since then – just like his manager from that time.

Now Oxford's only ever-present after spells at Portsmouth and Blackburn, he is no longer the untried prospect who had bailed out City at the last minute on a cheap wage.

But the 1,100 travelling fans – who were fairly muted throughout – will still be none the wiser how good or otherwise he is now because they saw no evidence either way.

City unfortunately failed to give him a single opportunity to showcase his skills. Not that they didn't have the chances to do so.

The first arrived after 21 minutes of sparring which had seen Oxford create the only two openings; both for Maguire from Phil Edwards crosses, both saved by Doyle.

But then City got a break – and one hotly disputed in home eyes – as Jordy Hiwula flicked on Law's pass and Timothee Dieng fell to the floor under the attentions of Raglan.

It looked a bit soft but Webb had no doubt and ignored the baying argument behind the goal to award City's sixth spot-kick so far, already equalling the tally for the whole of last season.

Clarke, miffed at missing out to Haris Vuckic with the last one, stepped up and thrashed it against the bar.

Miss number two followed within nine minutes from Hiwula.

Josh Cullen, who would go on to suffer only his fifth defeat in 30 City games, lofted a ball into the box where the striker was all alone on the penalty spot.

He could have brought it down, taken a touch and still had time to shoot past Eastwood but, probably thinking he was offside, Hiwula snatched at the volley and skied over the bar.

Leaders Scunthorpe were losing at that moment – but in the city of dreaming spires, those fantasising about climbing into top spot must have already feared it was just an illusion.

The Bantams pinged the ball around well enough; the locals near the press box remarked about the welcome contrast to the more agricultural fare served up six days earlier by Wimbledon on the same ground.

But the Dons, for all the barbed remarks about their style, also possessed substance when it mattered.

That was missing with City as the promising approach faltered just at the point when they could have threatened to hurt their hosts.

James Meredith was his usual willing participant bombing down the left flank and it was a big blow to see him hobble away at the start of the second half.

Matt Kilgallon took his place and, once he had caught up with the pace, carried out his defensive duties diligently enough. But he does not offer the same overlapping attacking threat as the Australian.

Oxford, attacking their own end rather than the car park, looked to build a head of steam. But they were suddenly caught out as Vincelot led a rapier-like thrust from one end of the pitch to the other.

The Frenchman hoovered up a loose ball in his own penalty area and proceeded to surge upfield like a man possessed as Oxford frantically back-tracked.

He swapped one box for another before slipping a pass across the goal-mouth begging to be finished.

It was just in front of Law, who had joined him on the counter surge, but there was Hiwula surely poised to convert at the far post.

Instead he leant back and spooned it over the bar, getting the angle so wrong that the shot ended nearer Vincelot than the goal.

Oxford were boosted by the let-off and Chey Dunkley's header was smuggled away from in front of the line by Law.

Then, as fourth official Christopher O'Donnell raised his board for the time to be added on, Vincelot was caught out by John Lundstram's run towards the box and pulled back the former Everton man.

Up stepped Maguire, Oxford's brightest player, to apply the coup de grace as Doyle was left flat-footed by guessing wrong.

There seemed no way back – but suddenly Vincelot was in the Oxford penalty area again.

The ball dropped his way under pressure and he delayed fractionally, inviting the challenge from Raglan. He went down from the contact and City screamed for the chance of spot-kick redemption.

But Webb, after taking a pause, took no action other than to sound the final whistle.

Vincelot's frustration peaked as he booted a post. He was convinced of the foul.

But the unbeaten run was over and some unsavoury scenes behind the away stand after the game finished the day on a sour note.