AN Atkins has urged Oxford United to "kick on" from the progress they have shown this season to make sure they don't miss out on promotion again.

The U's boss was speaking in the aftermath of Saturday's cruel sequence of events which saw them have a play-off place agonisingly snatched from their grasp.

United did what they had to do by beating York 2-0 at the Kassam Stadium in their final Division 3 game of the season.

And the miracle they had been praying for looked to be on as rivals Lincoln were losing 1-0 at home to Torquay.

But Oxford were kicked in the teeth when substitute Simon Yeo grabbed an 86th-minute equaliser for Lincoln to take them into the play-offs.

It meant United had missed out by just a point.

Atkins said: "To be fair, it's been a fantastic season. It's just disappointing we haven't quite finished it off by getting into the play-offs because I was totally convinced that if we had, we'd have won it. But it just wasn't to be.

"We did our part today but why didn't we do that against Leyton Orient at home, Macclesfield at home and Southend at home? That's when we could possibly have shown more bottle. Teams got on top of us and were too physically strong for us.

"That's been our problem all season - not dominating games. "But the league table and statistics don't lie. Our top scorer at home has got four goals - three penalties and a corner - and that hasn't been enough.

The manager added: "Everyone can see the progression at the football club, not just with the first team, but the reserves and the youths, and in that sense it's been a magnificent season.

"We've got a lovely stadium here, but stadiums don't win you football matches.

The supporters have been superb all season and I think they can see the progress that we've made, and we've got to kick on again next year.

"If we're positive, and we do it right in the summer, and I don't have to sign players who are second or third down my list, we can improve on what we've done this year.

"If we don't, it's going to be a very, very strong league again next year. The clubs that have come down, and the clubs who are coming up are going to spend and spend. To compete with them, you've got to do the same. "We've got away with it this year, because I haven't spent a penny and our wage bill has dropped dramatic- ally.

"We've brought an awful lot of money into the football club with our cup runs and the gates have been brilliant and the team's improved no end."