OXFORD United suffered their first defeat of the season, but Blackpool will be wondering how on earth they held on to take the points.

The visitors somehow failed to score despite battering the Tangerines in a second half where the hosts failed to register any effort on goal until stoppage-time.

Blackpool were ahead early on through Ryan Edwards’s header from a corner.

They had plenty of defending to do as United played their way back into the game, Ben Woodburn firing against the woodwork from range.

Armand Gnanduillet won and converted a soft penalty to double their lead, but Josh Ruffels halved the deficit on the stroke of half-time.

The second half saw a host of penalty appeals waved away, one of which looked nailed on against James Henry.

United survived that to dominate the game, with Jamie Hanson hitting the crossbar during a terrific spell.

But they could not find a way through as Blackpool hung on to make it three wins out of three.

Following wholesale changes in the Carabao Cup, Robinson wanted to revert to the XI which had started the first two league games.

He managed it except for Tariqe Fosu, who was kept out by a hamstring issue, so Jamie Hanson came into the team.

Blackpool had injury issues of their own as Jay Spearing and Joe Nuttall missed out, but the leaders were ahead inside five minutes.

Rob Dickie headed a dangerous free-kick behind, but from the corner Edwards nodded powerfully past Simon Eastwood from close range.

United missed Fosu’s pace, but steadily worked their way back into the game.

All their best moments came down the right flank, where James Henry and Chris Cadden again linked up well.

A sharp one-two saw Cadden measure a ball to the back post on 18 minutes, but Jak Alnwick just kept out an effort which appeared to come off Ruffels’s shoulder at the back post.

Blackpool’s main threat came from set pieces, but United’s supporters were buoyed by their side’s display.

They should have been cheering an equaliser ten minutes before the interval when Alnwick parried Henry’s curling shot from the edge of the box. The rebound fell for Jamie Mackie, but the veteran scuffed his shot six yards out and Blackpool scrambled a clearance.

The U’s quickly came even closer, Ben Woodburn rattling the base of Alnwick’s right-hand post from almost 25 yards.

But having been disappointed not to equalise, the visitors found themselves 2-0 down in first-half stoppage time.

Liam Feeney broke forward down the right and his ball over the top found Gnanduillet, who made the most of a challenge from Dickie to win a soft penalty.

The former U’s loanee took the spot kick himself, finding the bottom left corner.

United were fuming over the decision, with Robinson cautioned for his protests, but they did get a lifeline before the interval.

The long delay over the penalty allowed twice the two minutes added on, giving Cadden time to send a cross to the back post where Ruffels this time got the better of Alnwick.

It set the tone for a lively start to the second half, where Blackpool should have been awarded a second penalty.

Henry clearly fouled Jordan Thompson, but referee Darren Drysdale pointed for a goal kick.

He also turned down two strong penalty shouts at the other end on Rob Dickie, either side of an excellent save from Alnwick to deny Woodburn after Mackie had mugged Edwards out wide.

Drysdale’s busy afternoon continued when he dismissed a handball shout in the box against Rocky Bushiri, while Jamie Hanson powered a header against the crossbar from 12 yards.

The pressure kept building as United racked up a host of shots and corners.

Blackpool’s time-wasting saw two players cautioned, but despite six minutes added on there was no way through.

Blackpool (3-4-2-1): Alnwick, Bushiri (Nottingham 63), Edwards, Tilt, Anderton, Turton, Thompson (Pritchard 63), Feeney, Delfouneso (Guy 79), Kaikai, Gnanduillet.

Unused subs: Mafoumbi, Hardie, Devitt, Shaw.

Booked: Thompson, Alnwick, Tilt.

Oxford Utd (4-1-4-1): Eastwood, Cadden, Dickie, Mousinho, Ruffels, Gorrin (Hall 74), Henry, Hanson (Forde 84), Brannagan, Woodburn (Moore 90+2), Mackie.

Unused subs: Stevens, Long, Berkoe, Sykes.

Booked: Gorrin, Hall, Moore.

Referee: Darren Drysdale (Lincolnshire).

Attendance: 9,104 (894 visitors).