Promotion-seeking Ipswich Town, who should have been five up in the opening half hour, only just held on for victory against battling Oxford.

In the sixth minute Marlon Harewood nodded on a corner from Jamie Clapham for Matt Holland to score with a right-foot drive.

Two minutes later, Brian Wilsterman tripped David Johnson and a penalty was awarded. Oxford skipper and sweeper Les Robinson was booked for protesting before Mark Venus fired a left-foot spot kick past Paul Gerrard.

In the third minute Harewood had one of the misses of the season when he hit the post from two yards after a back-pass by Robinson had spun over the head of Gerrard who had left his line.

Oxford started to look more dangerous with Joey Beauchamp and Dean Windass prominent.

Two minutes before the interval Oxford pulled a goal back when Windass provided a through-pass for Christophe Remy who rounded Tony Mowbray before beating Richard Wright with a left-foot effort.

Holland and Dyer had good chances to increase Ipswich's advantage but in the 55th minute Oxford might have drawn level. Beauchamp was through but Wright stood his ground well. The shot struck the goalkeeper and Venus completed the clearance.

Then a driven cross from Beauchamp flew into the side-netting off Tony Mowbray, and the match had become wide open.

In the 69th minute Paul Powell tested Wright with a 20-yard drive that the keeper dived to save one-handed.

Ipswich should have wrapped it up in the 78th minute when Venus sent Dyer down the left. The cross provided substitute Richard Naylor with a great chance but Gerrard saved Oxford again.

In the 84th minute, Naylor lunged into Windass which sparked off a confrontation involving several players of both sides. Naylor was booked for the foul and Oxford defender Mark Watson for retaliation.

Ipswich lived nervously until the end with Oxford pressing hard up to the final whistle.

Teams:

Ipswich: Wright, Wilnis, Phetis, Clapham, Mowbray, Venus, Dyer, Holland, Johnson, Harewood (Naylor 70), Magilton.

Subs Not Used: Stockwell, Tanner. Booked: Naylor.

Goals: Holland 6, Venus 8 pen.

Oxford Utd: Gerrard, Robinson, Powell, Gray, Watson, Wilsterman, Remy (Rose 90), Murphy (Banger 70), Francis, Windass, Beauchamp.

Subs Not Used: Thomson.

Booked: Robinson, Watson.

Goals: Remy 43.

Att: 16,920

Ref: R Olivier (Sutton Coldfield).