OXFORD United's ruthlessness in the final third largely deserted them against Accrington Stanley, admitted Karl Robinson.

The U's enjoyed the majority of possession in the Sky Bet League One clash, but Elliot Lee's first-half equaliser was one of just three attempts on target.

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Accrington kept United goalkeeper Jack Stevens busier with ten shots on goal and Paul Smyth and Michael Nottingham struck either side of the break to secure a 2-1 victory.

The U's inability to convert possession into chances has hurt them on several occasions this season and the defeat at the Kassam Stadium is a major blow to their Sky Bet League One play-off hopes.

Robinson was reluctant to be too critical with United six points off the top six with seven matches left, but knows his side lacked a finishing touch.

“I’m at a loss," the U's head coach said.

"There’s things that I have to keep to myself for them to go again.

"There were some very good performances there, if you looked at the game as a whole we were dominant in a lot of areas.

"When you don’t create clear-cut chances you’re hoping it drops to you once or twice.

“I don’t think we were streetwise enough at certain stages.

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"We put the set-plays before the end outside the line of the goalposts - put it in where they’ve got to make a decision.

"I think we dominated most parts of the football match and we're left bitterly frustrated by the result.”

The U's boss sent on Sam Winnall for James Henry just before Nottingham struck the winner 20 minutes from time.

Even with the striker partnering Matty Taylor up front United could not find a second goal, but Robinson thought they looked dangerous.

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He said: “We had more chances when we made the change, we had more dominance in the final third.

“When we only play with one striker you ask why don’t we have enough strikers on the pitch, but when we have strikers on the pitch it seems we lose our shape.

“You can’t have everything, certainly at this level.”