KARL Robinson felt Accrington Stanley’s game management was key on a disappointing night for Oxford United.

The U’s enjoyed a good spell before going behind to John O’Sullivan’s 28th-minute strike and the hosts successfully slowed the contest down from then on.

Accrington continued to look dangerous on the break and Ethan Hamilton made it 2-0 in second-half stoppage-time, moments after Matty Taylor missed a header at the far post.

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The visitors only threatened sporadically in the pouring rain and Robinson admitted Stanley stopped them finding their flow, while acknowledging they had to be better in front of goal.

United’s head coach said: “How are you meant to play when every time the ball goes out they waste 30 seconds?

“You don’t get into a rhythm.

“It’s why they don’t lose many games here and if they do lose games it’s 1-0, because the ball’s probably only in play for 50-odd minutes.

“You don’t get into that flow, but when we got into a slight rhythm we didn’t take chances.

“When you have those small moments in games you’ve got to make sure you take those opportunities.”

Robinson had an attacking bench to call on, with Sam Baldock, Billy Bodin, Mark Sykes, Gavin Whyte and Sam Winnall among the substitutes.

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Sykes and Winnall were introduced ten minutes after the break as United switched to a 4-4-2 diamond, before Baldock came on for his debut midway through the half to spearhead an attacking 3-4-3.

Robinson said: “Sam Baldock looked a real threat when he came on, I thought he showed tremendous quality.

“That was a real positive. He looked a level above at times, you can see why he gets little niggles because he never stops moving, everything’s 100 miles per hour.

“Sykesy’s decision-making could have been a little bit better at times but at the level he’s playing it’s hard for him to sustain that.

“He’s playing right wing back, left wing, right wing and he’s brilliant in every one of these positions.”

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It was a bittersweet debut for Baldock, but the experienced striker looked for the positives.

“The memories I’m going to take aren’t going to be fond ones, but I’m hoping there’s a lot better to come,” he said.

“It’s a credit to Oxford the way everyone wants to upset their rhythm, slow things down and take time over throw-ins and goal kicks.

“I was saying to Matty (Taylor) the other day, sometimes teams just bank up against you and you’re really struggling to move.

“It’s a real credit to the way the manager’s got everyone playing and the way the boys can knock the ball around the pitch, but we’ve got to find solutions.”