KARL Robinson was not happy with Oxford United’s second-half display as they left Sunderland with a point.

Leon Dajaku put the hosts ahead early on, but the U’s were the better side until the break and equalised through Matty Taylor in the 36th minute.

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It was a different story in the second half, as Sunderland regained the initiative and hit the woodwork through Ross Stewart and Nathan Broadhead – the latter thanks to Simon Eastwood’s fingertip save.

United saw out the 1-1 draw on a day when six players returned to the squad after their Covid-enforced isolation, but Robinson felt the last 45 minutes left a lot to be desired.

The U’s head coach said: “If you looked at the first half I thought we were by far the better team. I thought we dominated most aspects of the game.

“I thought we started poorly in the first five minutes, but then we got to grips with the game and looked like a real class act.

“Our message at half-time was to continue doing the same things, (but) they had a change of shape and we got really sloppy.

“I’m really angry with our performance in the second half.

“My players know I love them, they mean the world to me, but I felt in the second half we became disjointed.

“You’ve got to say we’ve done well to hang on.

“People have a nudge at Easty sometimes, but what a second half performance that was from him. That was sensational.”

The draw lifts United to seventh in Sky Bet League One, while Sunderland stay fifth.

There were question marks over both goals, with Cameron Brannagan booked for diving in the Sunderland penalty area moments before Dajaku’s seventh-minute opener.

Asked if it was a penalty, Robinson said: “For me, yes. I think he made too much on it, which made it a bit more of a decision for the referee to make.

“If he doesn’t give it, he has to book him for simulation.

“It’s one of those where if you do get that contact you try to emphasise the foul and sometimes that almost takes your eye off the foul anyway.”

United then equalised after Lyden Gooch went down under Nathan Holland’s challenge on the byline.

Referee Jeremy Simpson waved play on and the winger teed up Taylor to score his ninth goal of the season.

Questioned on whether it was a foul, Robinson added: “Oh wow, no. Not a hope.

“I couldn’t understand what the disagreements were about.

“You can see Nathan’s arm is in the air, but from our point of view it certainly wasn’t a foul.”