DARREN Patterson is desperate to dip into the transfer market to freshen up his Oxford United side.

The U's crashed to another defeat against a semi-professional club in losing 1-0 to Altrincham at Moss Lane yesterday – after totally dominating the first half.

It was like Lewes revisited as they ran out of steam, and legs, in the second half – and lost concentration for one bad moment.

Patterson took off front men Yemi Odubade, Jamie Guy and Lewis Haldane in the second half, and United ended up with Eddie Hutchinson up front, and with teenage novices Sam Deering and Matty Taylor either side.

It proved how thin United's squad is, with leading scorer James Constable missing the game through injury, and Patterson says he has to address it.

Yet the club's financial position was so precarious that at the start of this month they hadn't paid the rent due for the Kassam Stadium.

"I hope we can magic some money from somewhere to get in one or two more," Patterson said. "We've got to freshen it up."

Altrincham striker Colin Little's seventh goal of the season settled the Blue Square Premier game, but the U's have no-one banging in the goals on a regular basis.

"We haven't got someone like Colin Little, who gets in where it hurts," said United's manager.

"When you're given an opportunity as a front man, you've got to take it."

He was critical of Jamie Guy for giving the ball away too much in the second half, and of skipper Joe Burnell, for not always taking up the right positions.

"There were a lot of chances in the first half, and we got in good areas, but we weren't brave enough," Patterson said.

"I was very pleased with the two young boys that came on. They showed real enthusiasm and hunger, which is what you're after."

The U's boss was very unhappy with the goal his team conceded, and they have now managed to keep just one clean sheet in 15 matches.

"We're disappointed we don't score goals, but when that happens you take a 0-0, you go another unbeaten game. Yet we couldn't, and this has happened too many times, it's not good enough."

He added: "In the end I've put on two kids, and a central midfielder up front to have presence up there.

"That says it all and if I was a wide player or centre forward I'd be pretty ashamed of that."