Oxford Utd 1, Tranmere Rov 2 BOTTOM of the table they may have been, but Tranmere were still far too good for an Oxford United side that, in the second half of a poor quality game, reached depressingly new lows.

It's nothing different for United to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, but the way they fell away after missing clear chances to take a two or three-goal lead was desperate in the extreme.

John Aldridge won the tactical battle against his old teammate Malcolm Shotton as Tranmere notched their first league win of 1998-9 after the worst start they have made to a season in their history.

The club from the Wirral still look a better bet to stay up than United, judging by the final 45 minutes of this tedious Division 1 encounter.

With a great run at home behind them - 13 goals in their last four games at the Manor - everything seemed set up for another rousing U's performance on their own patch as they made a great start attacking towards the London Road goal.

Dean Windass nearly scored from a free-kick in the first minute, his 25-yard effort pushed around a post by Dutch keeper John Achterberg, and Rovers were pinned back for long spells.

The home side had a goal by Joey Beauchamp disallowed for an apparent push by Phil Whelan at a long throw-in by Paul Powell, but they didn't have long to wait before opening the scoring.

Windass was fouled by Steve Frail outside the box and he picked himself up and struck a glorious right-footed shot from the free-kick over the wall and into the top left corner of the goal.

It was Windass's sixth goal of the season. At the other end, Phil Gilchrist hacked the ball away from danger after a shot by Rovers' new striker Scott Taylor, and Phil Whitehead made a good reaction save from a Taylor blast when he should have scored.

Yet United were the more enterprising side for most of the opening period, Beauchamp breaking well on the right, and they carved out two glorious chances.

First Whelan headed back a cross from Beauchamp and Andy Thomson shot against the bar.

Beauchamp created an ever better chance for Windass, who met the winger's low centre eight yards out but side-footed over the bar.

That was in the 24th minute and that was effectively it for United. Tranmere gained control, several Oxford players again failed to take charge and Rovers ran away with it.

Gary Jones met a corner by Jason Koumas with a free header inside the six-yard box and only an alert save by Whitehead kept United in front.

But the lesson wasn't learned and from another Koumas corner, former Everton defender Graham Allen wasn't picked up and headed unmarked high into the net. Dave Challinor's prodigiously long throw-ins were causing problems too.

Both sides tightened up their defences at the break and the result was a flat, sterile half.

Thomson flicked a header wide, Simon Marsh volleyed well over from 20 yards and another Thomson shot deflected just wide.

And after 69 minutes the goal Tranmere had been threatening duly came.

Koumas's neat dribble released Kenny Irons, who caught Oxford's defence asleep with a pass through to Gary Jones, who shot past Whitehead.

The response from United was pitiful and the visitors should really have added further goals. Jones side-footed wide when it seemed easier to score, and they made a complete mess of a three-against-one break late on.

Frustrated home fans booed Shotton's decision to substitute Powell, who had produced some good passes and looked a lot livelier than many of his teammates.

For much of the second half, United's players resorted to the long boot forward and Windass got nowhere in the air against the classy French defender George Santos.

Somehow, after such a bright start, it had all gone horribly wrong.

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