The U's prompted and probed, but it was Accrington Stanley who found a way to win yet again to move closer to promotion.
There was little between the two teams throughout the ninety minutes, but the league leaders grabbed their fifteenth win in seventeen games thanks to another goal from Billy Kee.
The gap to the top seven remains four points, but there are now four games remaining for John McGreal's men to close the gap.
The match got off to a steady start and it wasn’t until the tenth minute that the U’s had a sight of goal.
Some superb interplay around the edge of the box between Senior and Mandron almost got the Frenchman in, but Hughes did well to bock his eventual shot.
At the other end, Hughes turned into an attacking danger, drilling a shot towards the top corner that Walker covered off and turned it onto the woodwork and away.
The visitors were keen to get down the flanks and Johnson sent over a dangerous cross that looked destined to be tucked in before Jackson’s intervention.
Conneely was the next to go close, striking in a shot from the edge of the box that was always bending just wide of the target.
Senior was looking dangerous on the occasions he got on the ball and he drew a cynical foul from Hughes just before half time that got a yellow card from the referee.
Chances were hard to come by in the first half with both defences on top, but the U’s had a bright start to the second half.
First Senior drove just over from distance, before Wright’s shot to the far post was just about turned wide by Chapman.
The game was certainly livelier after the restart and Accrington got away from the U’s midfield, only for Walker to save Jackson’s effort with his legs.
The U’s had started the half really strongly, but found themselves behind just after the hour mark.
A cross was driven in from the right and although Walker fended away the ball, it rebounded off Kee’s knee and rolled into the bottom corner.
The visitors were happy to break the flow of the game with their pace of play, but almost got a second when Jackson forced a low save out of Walker.
And the U’s stopper saved well from Kee as he was well placed to tuck away Jackson’s cross.
Having introduced Murray shortly after the goal, the U’s then brought on Shodipo as they aimed to get back into the game.
They were trying to build up a head of steam, and Wright couldn’t beat Chapman with a shot from the edge of the box as the U's sought a path to goal.
And the visitors saw out the remaining time by putting bodies behind the ball to close off the match and move tantalisingly close to League One football.