Goals from Rob Street and Will Goodwin ensured Cheltenham’s improvement under Darrell Clarke continued with a shock 2-0 League One home win over promotion-chasing Oxford.

Both teams had a player sent off, with Street shown a straight red during first-half stoppage time and Ruben Rodrigues dismissed for a second caution after 68 minutes for the visitors.

Second-bottom Cheltenham started strongly, with Street seeing a shot blocked in the opening seconds and Aidan Keena denied by James Beadle’s flying save.

Oxford then threatened, with Goodwin and Curtis Davies kicking efforts away inside the box.

But Cheltenham broke through in the 34th minute when Liam Sercombe’s corner was cleared to Street, who smashed a sweetly-struck effort through a crowd of bodies from 20 yards.

Street then saw red for catching Stephan Negru with an elbow and – with the final touch of the half – Sercombe missed a golden chance to double their lead with the goal gaping.

Rodrigues spurned a similar chance for Oxford seven minutes after the break and Luke Southwood saved well to deny Ciaron Brown before Rodrigues was given his marching orders after a foul on Ben Williams.

Cheltenham made sure of the points when George Lloyd set up Goodwin for his third of the season, spoiling Des Buckingham’s first game in charge of the U’s, who dropped down a place to third as a result.