MANAGER Malcolm Shotton didn't mince his words after seeing his Oxford side fail to break their travel hoodoo.

But it wasn't his own players he was having a go at after the 1-0 defeat at Gigg Lane last night - the eighth time this season that United have failed to win away from the Manor.

"It's an absolute disgrace the way Bury play the game," Shotton blasted.

"If any of my players played like that I would sack them.

"We should have won the game 5-1. They had one shot and, granted our finishing should have been better, but it would have been kind to Bury if we had scored only five."

Opposite number Neil Warnock was understandably in buoyant mood, but admitted that his interval team talk was one of the hardest he had ever had to give.

"If Oxford had been more positive in ther first half, then they would have won the game," the Bury boss declared.

"In the end though, I thought we deserved the win."

That was way off the mark and brought even sterner looks from Shotton when the U's boss was told of his counterpart's comments.

Shotton refused to apportion the blame entirely on the shoulders of keeper Phil Whitehead.

"Phil's held his hands up and accepted the blame for the goal, but he's had a magnificent season and you can't legislate for an individual mistake."

The U's chief was happy with his side's commitment, but the defeat really hurt.

"The lads have all worked their socks off tonight and they are very unfortunate not to get anything from the game," he said.

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