Lee Molyneaux has left Oxford United after a settlement was reached and his contract paid off.

The 22-year-old defender, who was signed by former manager Graham Rix in the summer of 2003, had not appeared in the first team this season under boss Brian Talbot, who had made it clear he didn't feature in his plans.

Molyneaux had played under Rix in the youth set-up at Portsmouth, but after a spell in Ireland was at his home town club Weymouth when he was offered the chance to move to the Kassam Stadium.

He made seven starts and ten substitute appearances for the U's last season, showing his versatility by playing at right back, centre back and on the right of midfield - though the U's failed to win any of those seven in which he started.

He was also partly blamed for the 6-1 hiding at Yeovil, where he came on to replace the injured Jon Ashton and then kept seeing the ball hammered into his net.

Meanwhile, Talbot is trying to restore self belief in the U's camp before tomorrow's FA Cup first-round replay against Conference South strugglers Eastbourne Borough after their 3-0 home defeat by Wrexham at the weekend.

He said: "At the moment we're down, with our tail between our legs, and it's my job to pick people up.

"We've got a difficult job on Wednesday and, to be honest, we've got to get a performance with more energy on the pitch."

Talbot said there was no question of resting anybody because the part-timers showed, in the first match at their Priory Lane Stadium - which ended 1-1 - that they can make life difficult for United.

"I'll play my best players on Wednesday because we need a result," said the Oxford manager.

"If they think it was difficult on Saturday, it will be just as difficult on Wednesday."

For the U's, who have now scored just three goals in their last eight games, it's a critical stage of the season.

They cannot afford an embarrassing FA Cup exit with their league form slipping - and with a tough month ahead.

Talbot reflected: "Wrexham was my 17th league game, and I think it's been a bit bitty. There have been some good performances, some average performances.

"People are saying I have to sort it out and I know that's my job. I've got to be clinical, get my best players on the pitch, but they've also got to play to their potential as well."

Eastbourne manager Garry Wilson, who has injury worries over Ollie Rowland, Andy Atkin and Phil Warner believes his team have nothing to lose in the replay.

He said: "The expectation is on Oxford, the pressure mounts on the home side, so it takes a lot off us and hopefully we can go out there and enjoy the occasion.

"Away from home our form has been dreadful, so we are looking to change things just to do something different. We've got to find a method of keeping the ball and getting it to our front men."