Oxford United's 11-game unbeaten run came to an end as they conceded two goals from Joe Jacobson set pieces to lose at Wycombe Wanderers.

The hosts were the better side in the first half, but did not open the scoring until five minutes after the break, when Garry Thompson headed in Jacobson's corner.

United roused themselves and levelled through Liam Sercombe's tenth goal of the season.

There was still 25 minutes left to find a winner, but it came at the other end when Jason McCarthy nodded in a Jacobson free-kick.

Sercombe twice came close in stoppage-time as United pushed hard on the way to a first defeat since the 3-2 loss at home to Barnet in October.

The result saw them slip to third in Sky Bet League Two, as Plymouth Argyle returned to the top.

Danny Hylton replaced Callum O'Dowda in the only change to the starting line-up from the 1-1 draw at home to Carlisle United a week earlier.

They were given a terrific reception from a packed away end when the teams came out, but Wycombe made the better start.

The tone for the first half was set in the opening 15 seconds, when the home side attacked and Chey Dunkley conceded a panicky corner.

It came to nothing, but Jacobson's next set piece found Thompson, whose back post header was palmed to safety by Benji Buchel.

The United goalkeeper, like his back four, had plenty of work to do as Wycombe grew in confidence.

Thompson and Sam Wood both had a couple of efforts in quick succession midway through the half, while John Lundstram cleared another wicked corner off the line on 27 minutes.

United's centre backs were strong in the air, but when the ball was cleared the visitors had little joy in taking the game to the Chairboys.

Aside from the busy Chris Maguire, none of the attacking unit was able to gain a foothold in the game.

It was shown in United's sum total of efforts on goal before half-time, which consisted of two Hylton headers which did not threaten goalkeeper Matt Ingram.

His opposite number continued to be gainfully employed, saving two efforts from Michael Harriman.

United's problems deepened five minutes before the break, when Joe Skarz, who had played every minute of the league season so far, came off with a groin injury.

He was replaced by Jordan Evans, who curled a free-kick in stoppage time which beat everyone at the back post.

United looked much brighter at the start of the second half, but within five minutes of the restart they fell behind.

Jacobson's corners had already caused plenty of problems and in the 50th minute the left back's out-swinging delivery was headed home powerfully by Thompson.

It had been coming and for a few minutes Wycombe threatened to take the game away from the visitors.

United did not manage their first shot on target until a low Kemar Roofe effort in the 57th minute.

Just after the hour Patrick Hoban came off the bench to replace Hylton and the Irishman quickly made an impact.

Within two minutes the striker collected George Baldock's cross and with his back to goal held off his marked and found Sercombe to smash a shot high into the net.

  • The 1,733 away fans welcome Oxford United's players before kick-off

United were suddenly in the ascendancy, as Wycombe's rearguard began to wobble for the first time.

But Ingram was not troubled and 11 minutes later another Jacobson delivery undid United.

Evans conceded a free-kick wide on Wycombe's right flank and the full back picked out McCarthy to head home.

Sam Wood almost made it 3-1 when George Baldock's clearance hit a teammate and fell kindly, but the midfielder's shot struck Buchel's right-hand post and bounced clear.

United survived to launch a late assault for a second equaliser.

Sercombe came the closest in five minutes of stoppage time.

The midfielder had a header cleared off the line by Harriman, before in the final seconds he ran on to Dunkley's pass but could not get hold of his shot when off-balance.

Wycombe: Ingram, McCarthy (McGinn 77), Pierre, Stewart, Jacobson, Harriman, Bloomfield, O'Nien, Wood, Hayes (Rowe 89), Thompson (Holloway 83).

Unused subs: Lynch, Kretzschmar, Ugwu, Udumaga.

Oxford Utd: Buchel, Baldock, Dunkley, Mullins, Skarz (Evans 40), MacDonald (Taylor 89), Sercombe, Lundstram, Roofe, Maguire, Hylton (Hoban 63).

Unused subs: Slocombe, Wright, Ruffels, O'Dowda.

Referee: Neil Swarbrick (Lancashire).

Attendance: 5,742 (1,773 visitors).