Graham Rix blasted yet another individual lapse of concentration as Oxford United lost their opening-day League Two clash at Boston on Saturday.

It was the U's first defeat by the Pilgrims.

They fell to a goal seven minutes from time when centre back Jon Ashton made a hash of trying to clear the ball to let in substitute Lee Thompson.

Rix had that deja vu feeling, because it was individual mistakes which cost his team so many times at the end of last season.

New skipper Lee Bradbury missed a penalty in the first half, with Boston keeper Nathan Abbey saving the kick to his left.

"In the first half we did well and should have gone in with a lead. In fact we should have been two up and that would have been that.

"But we weren't at the races in the second half and we failed to maintain con- centration.

"There were some harsh words in the dressing room because we had told them at half-time about keeping concentration. The goal we conceded was poor.

"Boston's keeper was man of the match and that said it all, I suppose.

"We worked hard enough, but individual errors have cost us again.

"It's devastating because there were some good individual performances and we had great opportunities in the first half, but the longer it goes without scoring, the more you worry about getting caught."

Rix said his late substitution, replacing Chris Hackett with Jefferson Louis, was not a bold attacking move to try to win the game, more a way of compensating for Hackett having less and less effect on the match.

"It wasn't that I put another striker on. Lee Bradbury dropped back into midfield to help out Paul Wanless and Rob Wolleaston.

"With ten minutes to go I'd have settled for a point."