OXFORD United's players were told to start taking proper responsibility as they threw away two points again at the Kassam Stadium on Saturday.

Manager Brian Talbot's hopes of a win in his first meeting with his old club Rushden were shattered as the U's blew a two-goal half-time lead, conceding two more goals from set-pieces.

It was a devastating result for United, who have managed just one win from their first eight games this season, especially since four of their next five matches are away.

There were angry accusations in the dressing room afterwards as fingers were pointed at players not doing their jobs properly.

Said assistant boss David Oldfield: "We have a real problem defending set pieces.

"We need to do much better, need to take responsibility and get a proper defensive line in there and defend them until the ball is really cleared.

"We need to do more work on that, without a doubt.

"We've conceded far too many goals from set pieces already this season and it's a real problem."

Injury-hit Rushden's young side included five teenagers, and when Oxford went two up in 25 minutes through goals from Eric Sabin and Leo Roget, it looked like becoming a rout.

But, it became an embarrassment.

Oldfield added: "We didn't pass the ball well enough, and got a bit deep. "I wasn't particularly comfortable with the way we played all game, to be honest.

"Having said that, had we defended properly from set-pieces, we would have ended up winning the game.

"We had a few good passages of play in the first half, got two goals up, and the game should have been over.

"We spoke at half-time about how important the first 20 minutes of the second half would be, yet both goals were within that space. We spoke about how we needed to play with a tempo, but we never really got going.

"We need to learn how to shut games out, and being 2-0 up we should have come away with a win.

"We need to get back to basics again, mark our men properly, and when the first ball is cleared, stay with your man until the danger has gone, and we are consistently failing to do so.

"We are in it together, the manager and myself.

"There are no excuses, we didn't do well enough again. It hurts me to say so and it hurts me to see us concede goals like that.

"Sabin scored a good goal, but was caught offside too much for everybody's liking."

Oldfield insisted fans should not read anything into the fact that Talbot had asked him to attend the post-match press conference instead of himself.

"It's Rushden, he wants to keep a low key, but he's certainly not hiding. We had spoken about me doing the press conference in the last couple of weeks and it just happens to be today.

"We are all bitterly disappointed and there were recriminations in the changing room at the end of the game."

United's players were back in for some light training yesterday.

Said Oldfield: "The game at Bristol Rovers tomorrow is a massive game for us and we need to be positive."