OXFORD United’s loss to Doncaster Rovers showed the fine margins between victory and defeat, says Elliott Moore.

The U’s controlled large portions of the Sky Bet League One clash, but conceded twice in the first six minutes of the second half to eventually fall to a 3-2 reverse.

It ended United’s 13-game unbeaten run and record-breaking nine-match winning streak, but victory was always a tough ask against a team who sit third in the table.

The U’s have come out on the right side of close games against Rochdale and Fleetwood Town recently, but Moore knows they paid the price for their slow start to the second half.

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United’s captain said: “You can’t be complacent, you can’t switch off.

“You have to be on it for 90 minutes, or you get punished.

“We’ve learnt that and hopefully we correct it.

“Except for that five or six minutes, we outperformed them in every aspect.”

The U’s were the better side in the first half an hour, but were caught on the counter-attack for Jon Taylor’s opening goal as Doncaster showed their clinical edge – and not for the last time.

Sam Long netted a deserved equaliser just before the break, but strikes from Taylor Richards and Fejiri Okenabirhie proved crucial.

Mide Shodipo halved the deficit with his tenth goal of the season 20 minutes from time and was later blocked off by home defender Andy Butler in the penalty area, only for referee James Bell to ignore United’s protests.

Moore added: “We deserved more than what the game gave us.

“We were unlucky not to take some of the chances we created, but we’re very disappointed that we conceded three.

“The winning run was always going to come to an end at some point, so now it’s about how we react.”

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United enjoyed 62 per cent of possession against the second-best home side in the division, but could not force an equaliser in the closing stages.

Bell added on seven minutes of stoppage time at the end of the game as the U’s tried everything – including using Moore as an auxiliary striker.

The 23-year-old said: “I put myself up there just to be an extra target.

“I don’t really want to go up there because I’d rather be defending a lead, but if it has to happen I try to offer something different.”