Oxford United manager Karl Robinson didn’t hold back in his post-match interview following his sides derby defeat against Swindon.
The Robins headed to Grenoble Road without a goal at the U’s new stadium and without a win against their rivals in 19 years. However, despite a dominant first-half display from Oxford, two late goals gave the visitors all three points.
Robinson felt that the substitutes made from both sides were the key to the game. The U’s boss brought on Dan Agyei, Mide Shodipo and Mark Sykes in the second half, with the latter giving the ball away in the build-up to Swindon’s’ first goal.
Despite his changes making an impact in the U’s win at Wigan and draw at Portsmouth last time out, he felt they let the side down this afternoon.
Speaking to the Oxford Mail, he said: “The substitutions made no impact. I think we went backwards. I can’t protect my players today.
“You make changes to make your team better and I think ours made our team worse. The goal at the end is just disgusting.”
He added: “We put on Dan Agyei who played wonderfully well on Tuesday, Mark Sykes who everyone tells me is a very good player with loads of energy and they let people run past them.
“We put Mide on and I don’t see what he’s given us.”
The U’s dominated the first half and took a deserved lead into the break courtesy of Matty Taylor. Although it could have been more, Robinson’s side failed to test the opponents in the second half and Swindon scored from their only two chances.
Whilst goalkeeper Simon Eastwood was at fault for the Robins’ winner, the U’s boss did not single out his number one for criticism.
However, he added: “Maybe I’m being a bit individual in my criticism and there were some aspects of our game where we were very rugged.
“I don’t understand why we played 20 or 30 yards deeper.
“When they go with the big guy up front the only way you can defend that is by keeping your line high.
“They’ve got nothing to lose in the last 15 minutes.”
