Oxford United manager Karl Robinson has highlighted his midfield display as a key reason his side lost their League One match with Rotherham United.
The U’s found themselves 3-0 down at the break, and Alex Rodriguez Gorrin and Cameron Brannagan were both replaced at the break.
Gorrin picked up a booking inside ten minutes and Brannagan still didn’t look fully fit as he recovers from his knee injury.
The U’s boss told the Oxford Mail: “One of our biggest strengths is that middle part of the pitch and we lost the midfield battle.
“Then we didn’t win the second balls and all of a sudden if you don’t do that against Rotherham they turn you around and hit you on the break. It’s clearly obvious.
“It just didn’t click. All of a sudden Alex gets booked early on and then gets involved in all of the emotion of the game.
“I felt sorry for Shandon (Baptiste) because every ricochet went against him.
“We just lost the midfield battle in the first half and that’s the top and bottom of it.
“They hit us on the break and picked us off.”
The U’s second-half display was much better, which included a first start for Nathan Holland and Marcus Browne – who replaced the midfield duo at half time.
Browne, on his second stint at the club, scored the U’s consolation goal in the second half and Matty Taylor squandered a couple of chances as the game began to edge away from Oxford.
The U’s have dropped to 5th in League One, two points behind Tuesday nights opponents Ipswich Town and five behind joint leaders Wycombe and Rotherham.
