Oxford United's management team revealed their disappointment at the crowd's hostile reaction to them substituting Paul Powell last night.

A chorus of boos echoed around The Kassam Stadium when Mark Wright and Ted McMinn brought Powell off 12 minutes into the second half as United trailed Carlisle 1-0.

But the home team rallied thanks to substitute Manny Omoyinmi, and Jamie Brooks equalised to earn a 1-1 draw.

McMinn said Powell had "let down the team and let down the fans" by going out and drinking heavily on Saturday night, just hours after the 1-0 home defeat by Scunthorpe.

"There were certain things that went on at the weekend which the fans probably don't know about, with players going out and drinking and then thinking they can perform after having a heavy Saturday night.

"Then to put in a performance like that and to get chanted off the pitch . . . I think the fans should realise the way the boy lives."

McMinn added: "This is not just a dig at Paul Powell. Anyone who thinks they can go out drinking on a Saturday night and think they can perform on a Tuesday - you can't do that.

Powell was unavailable for comment.

"For the fans to chant that when he came off the pitch was disappointing because we know what he's been up to. People just cannot live like that.

"When we brought him off, we looked a lot sharper.

"In the second half Manny livened things up when he came on"

Omoyinmi had been dropped to the bench to make way for new signing Stuart Douglas, who joined earlier in the day on a month's loan from Luton.

"Manny maybe had a point to prove," McMinn said "We know he can go on there and turn games and he produced a great cross and some other good runs.

"But teams like Carlisle should be getting battered. You can't be happy with a 1-1 draw against Carlisle. We're disappointed and so are the fans."

Read more on the U's on This is United