OXFORD United are now red-hot favourites for relegation after another shockingly inept performance which ended in a dressing room slanging-match.

Saturday's 1-0 defeat at fellow strugglers Port Vale leaves Malcolm Shotton's team back in the bottom three, having played a game more than some of their rivals and with the second division staring them in the face.

The probability is that they will need not only to win their two remaining home games, but also to get something from their hugely difficult May 1 visit to promotion-chasing Bradford where any May Day distress signals will be drowned out by a capacity home crowd.

Saturday's display was a huge letdown for the 1,500 United fans who made the trip to Port Vale, letting off hundreds of yellow and blue balloons before kick-off, courtesy of the Oxford Mail, who sponsored the fans' travel along with Thames Valley FM and U's chief Firoz Kassam.

The U's were beaten by a single goal from Allen Tankard who was left unmarked at a corner to volley home.

They failed to manage a shot on target, with substitute Andy Thomson fluffing a great opportunity to earn a point when he side-footed an easy chance over the bar four minutes from time. There were recriminations in the dressing-room, with the management and players making their thoughts known in no uncertain terms.

A Port Vale steward said he'd not known shouting like it and claimed things were thrown.

Shotton blew his top but it's claimed some players felt Thomson, and the player responsible for not picking up his marker at the corner when Vale scored, should not be made scapegoats.

Assistant manager Mark Harrison insisted the post-match inquest did not develop into anything physical and simply said: "We just had a massive talk in the dressing room.

"At the end of the day, you need to take responsibility and we gave away a sloppy goal.

"It was a corner kick, the lad's unmarked . . . we work at it in training. The boys must know that they've got to get tight in the box. It was unfortunate the way it bounced and went in, but you make your own luck.

"We didn't create as many chances as we have done in the last few weeks but we created two or three and we didn't hit the target. "Tommo's only got the keeper to beat and skied it. But he's just one man - everyone on the pitch has to take responsibility and ourselves off the pitch. We've got three games to go, nine points available and we keep going."

Skipper Les Robnson said: "For their goal, it's one person who hasn't picked up, I don't know who it was. We've worked for a couple of days on getting in behind them and getting crosses in, but it just didn't happen. In the end, we did get one or two chances but we just need that finishing touch."

Robinson will play his 500th league game at the Manor next Saturday when United face Norwich but he insisted: "500 means nowt if we lose it." REMAINING FIXTURES PORTSMOUTH

Stockport (H), Crewe (a), Bolton (H).

QPR

Birmingham (a), Bradford (H), Port Vale (a), C Palace (H).

ORT VALE

Watford (H), Tranmere (a), QPR (H), Bury (a).

BURY

Bolton (H), West Brom (a), Port Vale (H).

OXFORD UTD

Norwich (H), Bradford (a), Stockport (H).

BRISTOL CITY

Birmingham (H), Crewe (a), Sheff Utd (a), Norwich (H).

CREWE

Ipswich (a), Bristol C (H), Portsmouth (H), Huddesfield (a).

Story date: Monday 19 April

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