Alan Knill had a sense of deja vu after watching his Torquay United side lose 3-1 at home to Oxford United.

It was the same scoreline when the sides met in March.

The scoring even followed the same pattern, with the Gulls pulling a goal back after going 2-0 down, before the visitors netted a third to kill the game.

Knill was again left to reflect on a game where the visitors’ class up front proved the difference.

“It was a very disappointing result and it looked like an even game in the first half, which I thought we shaded.

“In the second half, their quality outshone ours.

“There was always hope because I thought we were a threat but you can’t defend like we did.

“They score the first from a set-piece and then a long ball makes it 2-0. We get one back but then get caught again for 3-1.

“I have to say the same happened in the same fixture last year and Oxford are obviously a team at the top of the league, and we’re a team trying to get there.”