Analysis: Early season run feels a distance memory for West Brom now

The memory of an unbeaten six-game start featuring five wins is not yet a distant memory but it is heading that way, should Carlos Corberan’s men not escape their rut in the coming days.

As they headed into stoppage time at the Kassam Stadium the visitors appeared on their way to quickly banishing a tricky three-game winless run that stunted momentum heading into the international break.

Karlan Grant’s fine strike just before the half-hour-mark had the Baggies home but not hosed.

Albion led for an hour – but it was not long enough. Dane Scarlett powered in a 92nd-minute header from a long throw-in to really sour the mood among the 1,800 travelling Baggies.

It was not a thrilling contest, by any means. Oxford, previously unbeaten at their three-sided home, were lively in places but they were there to be got at. Albion’s problem, though, was they did not get at the Yellows anywhere near enough.

Home goalkeeper Jamie Cumming did not have a save to make in a bizarre second half where Alex Palmer was also mostly a bystander. Corberan’s men looked uninterested in adding to their one-goal lead. Football rule 101 is a one-goal lead leaves you open to be punished.

And the Baggies were punished. Ending a winless run and moving top of the table was undone by one big Will Vaulks lob into the box, flick on by Elliott Moore and powerful header into the corner by Scarlett.

The outlook was different thereafter as the visitors licked their wounds from two points carelessly left behind.