There was no dressing-room inquest for Oxford United's players after what skipper Andy Crosby described as "a crazy ten minutes" at Hull on Saturday.

The U's conceded three goals in eight horrible second-half minutes in their top-of-the-table Division 3 match at a packed KC Stadium as the Tigers mauled them 4-2.

The goal blitz, and the way the defence was run ragged, was most uncharacteristic - which is why boss Ian Atkins said he wasn't going to go ballistic about it.

"There was no riot act read," Atkins said. "I thought it was a very good performance. No way was it a 4-2 scoreline - that was very unjust.

"We hit the bar and had one cleared off the line. So it was just those ten minutes of madness, in an area that has been very strong for us - and they took their chances well. That's life."

Crosby admitted he didn't have the best of games and was partly to blame for the sudden collapse, after the team had looked so comfortable at half-time.

"It's probably the best we have played for a while," he said, "but that ten to 15 minutes totally cost us. We had a crazy ten minutes.

"It was poor defending on my part, but these things happen.

"We never gave in, we kept playing to the final whistle, which is a positive for us.

"But we're bitterly disappointed to go down 4-2. It looks like a hiding, but it was a lot closer than that."

United slipped to third place, but were consoled by the fact that both Yeovil and Mansfield also lost away.

Crosby added: "Hull have now gone in front, but we've got a game in hand.

"We're bitterly disappointed because we thought we could come here and win.

"We've got to bounce back now. Unfortunately, we haven't got a game next week, so now we've got to look forward to Kidderminster, which is a massive game for us because we're probably going to fall two games behind."

Atkins said it was ironic that the FA Cup is costing the team again.

"I would have preferred to have had a game next week. Last year, it was a case of us falling behind because we were in the FA Cup, this year we're falling behind because everybody we're up against is still in it.

"But I'm pleased we won't drop below third next weekend."

United's manager felt Hull's two strikers, Danny Allsopp and Ben Burgess, were the big difference.

"Defensively, our three centre halves have played better this year and a couple of them probably had their poorest performances of the season.

"But with the quality of strikers Hull have got - and they've spent a lot of money on them - they can be out of the game for long spells, but can go and score goals.

"But the movement of Richie Foran up front for us was very good and that excites you. His link-up play with Steve Basham was as good as we've had for a long while.

"When Hull scored their first, they were lucky to be up after the way we had controlled the game in the first half. We probably had more shots than them, but they were clinical in their finishing.

"But we'll get back on track."

Hull boss Peter Taylor (pictured) denied branding Oxford a long-ball team.

He said: "I don't think I've ever called Oxford a long-ball team and I think today they showed they could play the ball through midfield and they played very well.

"The second-half performance really pleased me because we looked very good going forward."