Injuries cost the U's dear as they forewent a lead and lost 2-1 to Bristol City.

For the first forty-five minutes, they had had much the better of the game against their high-flying opponents, but lost two of their impressive back four in quick succession just before the break.

John White dislocated his elbow and Chris Coyne also made way with injury and although the new look defence was not particularly stretched by the visitors, the disruption affected the U's going the other way.

They were not as free flowing after the break and were left to rue not being able to build on their first half display.

Results elsewhere didn't go completely the U's way either, and the gap to safety edges back up to three points.

The U's named the starting eleven that had begun the game against Hull City seven days ago and City were also unchanged from their side against Crystal Palace two days later.

Both sets of fans started off in vocal fashion as they attempted to get behind their team, and both saw their teams denied a break through on goal with offside flags in the early stages.

Even in the opening exchanges, City showed the willingness to break quickly with the wide men getting into positions early for Australian Nick Carle to pick out.

The home team - encouraged by their support - enjoyed a couple of early set pieces, but were unable to pressure Adriano Basso as the ball dropped in the area.

The U's were at their ankle-biting best as they pressured the City players on the ball, although there were a couple of nervous moments as the two wingers again caused problems cutting in off the flanks.

The nerves also rattled a little when an intricate free kick by the visitors on eleven minutes saw Ifil dwell on the ball before clearing and the City then had a moment of their own on twelve minutes.

The ball was played forward and as Platt and McCombe chased back, the City defender miscued his back past beyond the onrushing Basso with the goal exposed.

Vernon and Orr chased back to try and get to the ball first and it was the City man who got his toe to the ball to take it away from danger as the home crowd willed their striker to get on the end of it.

The first real chance arrived on the sixteenth minute as the ball was won by Virgo, heading it out wide to McLeod on the flank.

He beat one man before slotting it back to White, who checked inside and delivering a brilliant cross to the far post. Duguid was stretching, but managed to arch his back and get in a header that hit the side netting.

Jackson arrived in the game on a red hot scoring streak and almost got on the end of a Platt flick on in the twentieth minute, as the U's started to see plenty of the ball.

His midfield partner Izzet had the first shot on target in the game midway through the first half as some excellent hold-up play by Platt and Vernon allowed him onto the ball, but his driven shot was right down Basso's throat.

The U's were looking useful going forward and Duguid looked like he might get in on a clever diagonal ball, only for a clever nudge on the blindside by Fontaine to knock the U's man off balance.

McLeod had endured a frustrating first quarter of the game but was coming more and more into the match. Showing positivity to try and get past Orr, the City man twice fouled his winger, getting a yellow card on the latter occasion.

The U's should should have taken the lead on 33 minutes after some great play by McLeod again. His eventual shot deflected across the box and Izzet had the savvy to backheel the ball to Vernon who, on the angle, was left with his head in his hands as he drove wide of the goal.

The striker had a tougher chance two minutes later as Platt saw off the physical interference of Fontaine to lay it off his strike partner. However, from a difficult position and on the stretch, he could only strike over the bar.

The U's excellent first half had a worrying conclusion as White went down under a foul from Sproule as he protected the ball and was stretchered off after treatment.

White was replaced by Granville for the final 51 minutes of the game, with the former Palace man hoping to repeat his solid half a week before at Hull.

The substitute was yet to touch the ball when City finally had their first real chance of the half.

The ball found McIndoe in space and he checked back, laying it to Elliot who drove in a fierce shot to force a fine finger tip save out of Gerken.

The U's made their second change at half time as injury forced Coyne out of contention. It meant a reshuffle for the home side, with Jackson going to left back, Granville left side centre half and Hammond making his debut in midfield.

Despite the change, the U's grabbed the lead six minutes after the restart.

The ball was laid out to McLeod on the left and his first time drilled shot was spilt by Basso, with Platt reacted quickest to smash home the ball.

Yet again, though, the lead was not protected for long as City drew level 81second later. A cross from deep on the left found Adebola in the box and he arched his back to head home into the far side netting.

The visitors almost then took a lead less than two minutes later as McIndoe caused mischief down the left, cut the ball back from the by-line only for Adebola to miscue his shot, allowing Gerken to help the ball over.

From the resultant corner, the U's were slow to react to a quick corner and Adebola got a free header in but could only send it well over the bar.

The visitors were looking to seize on the new uncertainty in the U's back line, with Byfield introduced for Carle as they went to a 4-4-2.

The U's were next to go close though as Vernon worked space on the right and sent over a chance that McLeod could only head wide as the ball came onto him quickly over a defender's shoulder.

From a quickly taken free kick, City then took the lead. Hammond stepped out to get to McIndoe, but the ball flicked off his leg and wrong footed Gerken, with the ball dropping in just under the cross bar.

The debutant just got his foot out of the way of a strike from Johnson on the edge of the box, allowing Gerken to collect at his feet. Had there been another deflection, it could have spelt danger for the U's.

The U's made their final change midway through the second half, as Kevin Lisbie came on for McLeod for the remaining minutes of the match.

It was recent scorer Jackson who was next to go close though, hittinghalf volley that was blocked behind for the first of a series of corners.

The substitute was not long in getting into a dangerous position, though, starting and finishing a move which ended with him diving onto an Ifil cross to send the ball just wide of the post.

The U's pressure was growing but they almost put in City as Virgo telegraphed a pass to set McIndoe away - the defender getting back to clear the cross at the end.

From the resultant corner, the ball was sent back to McIndoe, whose cross into the box was headed wide in a good position by Fontaine.

The visitors then hit the U's on the break and, in a one on one with the keeper, Elliott was twice denied by great saves by Gerken with a fantastic recovery stop for the second.

Half an hour into the second half, the U's contrived a clever move involving Izzet and Jackson, with Lisbie just a yard shy of getting the ball ahead of Basso as it dropped in the six yard box.

Izzet then went into the book for a foul on Elliott, before Orr was shown a second yellow for kicking the ball away after a foul on Lisbie.

The visitors were down to ten men for the final ten to fifteen minutes and Granville almost notched from the free kick as Basso scrambled to turn it around the post.

The sending off saw City introduce Cole Skuse for Sproule in the dying stages, but the sub could only watch on as Lisbie controlled well before toe poking an effort straight at Basso.

The U's were loading the box in the latter part of the game, and Gary Johnson responded in kind by introducing Tamas Vasko to shore things up at the back.

The U's wasted a chance with one corner as they failed to get it in the box, but did better with a free kick which - after a shout for handball - eventually fell to Duguid, whose shot was easily saved by Basso.

The City keeper did even better to collect a dangerous cross into the box under pressure in the first minute of injury time, and the Robins saw off the rest of the injury time period to continue their quest for the top flight.

The U's were given warm applause after the game, but their worries increase as City took all three points back to the West Country.