The U's missed the chance to move within two points of safety on Saturday afternoon as they fell to a second successive home defeat and to the foot of the Championship table.

It was a familiar tale - a solid enough first half an hour with good chances created was undone by a soft goal at the other end and the visitors were happy to soak up any pressure the U's created and hit on the counter after that.

The goal had sapped the already fragile confidence out of the U's, who failed to test Wayne Hennessy after the break.

It was, in the end, a story of one on ones - Ebanks-Blake scoring his, whilst Lisbie missed one later on for the U's.

Two more home games slip away with no points collected although the gap stays to safety remains at five, but the U's will need a big turn around in fortunes in the coming weeks.

The U's made two changes to their starting eleven, with Kevin Watson and Kevin Lisbie coming in for Scott Vernon and the injured John White. Johnnie Jackson went to left back.

After a nervous moment for keeper Dean Gerken when he had to deal with an overhit backpass, the U's then had a further injury worry to add to their pre-match list when Michael Gray cut down Karl Duguid from behind, injuring his ankle.

They were then presented with a chance on six minutes when Duguid opted to hook the ball back into the danger area rather than leave it for a corner, and Platt airkicked his volley, missing his strike on goal.

The front man did much better four minutes later as the U's came close from a Jackson free kick. Platt nodded back across goal and McLeod's first time volley forced a good full length save out of Hennessy who also held onto the ball.

The U's were having the better of the early play and Duguid again decided to take the ball early when Lisbie chested it off to him, but his left footed effort was well over the bar.

Platt was proving to be a menace early on and provided another ball for Lisbie to escape down the right and the front man twice spun Craddock on the edge of the box. The defender eventually blocked the ball, but twisted his knee in doing so.

The defender was down receiving treatment as the U's took their corner, but the effort from Jackson caught the wind and drifted just over the far top corner.

The visitors tested for the first time with seventeen minutes gone as Ebanks-Blake got down by the bye-line and crossed low across the face of goal, with Jackson clearing it for a corner.

But it was the U's having the better of the chances and the home team again burst free down the right with Lisbie showing a turn of pace to get away from danger and McLeod just missed it as he flew in at the far post.

McLeod's opposite number Elliott lost his runner when he burst through the middle not long after, but Coyne was the one who was in the right place at the right time again to block his mishit shot.

As well as Lisbie had done with his earlier chances, he probably made the wrong decision on the ball midway through the half.

With three other players in support, and Ifil in space down the right, he opted to go for goal and dragged his shot wide of the target.

Coyne, who had been excellent in the opening exchanges had to avoid a lunging Ebanks-Blake challenge a minute later and the Aussie took fierce exception to the tackle with the referee having to talk to both players.

After a fine first half hour, the visitors took the lead on the half hour mark. A long ball from the back by Henry looked like it should have been dealt with by Virgo but he let it bounce and Ebanks-Blake nipped in to steal the ball and bury it in the bottom corner.

It was another soft goal to concede and undid a lot of the good work of the opening spell. The visitors had to make a change not long after though, as Craddock eventually made way for Foley.

The U's also lost an influential player to injury as Duguid too was made to pay for his earlier knock and was replaced by Izale McLeod for the final 51 minutes of the game.

The perpetrator of Duguid's injury was Gray and the experienced wide man went in the book not long after the substitution for pulling back the new face.

From the resultant free kick, Ifil got down the right and sent over a low cross but, like Platt earlier in the half, Izzet missed his shot on the edge of the box.

Lisbie finally escaped the offside trap with just injury time to play in the first half and, having gained his composure, he found Hennessy on top of him and the keeper pulled off a good save.

The U's then made another another defensive mistake as Jackson got caught on the ball and Potter broke at pace, only to have his shot blocked at the last by Virgo.

As the second half got underway, the U's fans - led by the Family Enclosure - got behind their side, knowing that a big forty-five minutes lay ahead.

Their side started the brighter of the two in the immediate aftermath after the restart and McLeod struck a shot after a corner was not fully cleared that Hennessy spilt but grabbed at the second time of asking.

However, as much of the ball as the U's were seeing going forwards, the final ball was failing time and time again and the frustrations were starting to sound in the stands.

The U's were not able to break down a resolute visiting back line, and they nearly had a scare of their own midway through the second half.

Potter had been caught from behind in the box but the ref waved away the penalty appeals and as the protests continued, a shot came in from Elokobi that saw Ifil clear off the line with Gerken beaten.

With twenty minutes left to go, the U's made two final throws of the dice, introducing Balogh and Hammond in place of Kevin McLeod and Izzet.

The U's went close for the first time in a while as Coyne headed a Jackson free kick inches wide of goal, but it was always edging wide of the post.

Lisbie then tried to inject some life into proceedings as he burst in down the right but the Wolves defence stood strong just at the right moment to get the ball away from danger.

From the resultant free kick, it came off a visiting head and flashed wide of goal and U's were unable to get the next one into the danger area.

The visitors were then next to go close, Kyle winning a free header and then Edwards blasted the ball well over the bar.

Substitute Kyle was making a real nuisance of himself and won a header on eighty-three minutes that was reminiscent of Adebola's goal for Bristol seven days earlier, but his effort went wide of the post.

The U's were now resorting to pushing the ball long into the opposing area and Platt and Hammond could both consider themselves unlucky not to get in on the end of two such efforts.

Wolves were happy to hit on the counter attack and Gibson got in down the right late on to send over a low cross that eluded the onrushing Kyle in the box.

A Jackson free kick was deflected behind for a corner and from the resultant set piece, Platt flicked on at the near post and the ball went wide as it flashed wide of Hennessy's goal.

The U's were unable to break down their opposition though and slip to the foot of the table with games starting to run out.

The survival mission looks as tough as ever and the confidence will have taken a huge blow with two successive home defeats.