RECALLED centre half Mark Creighton says Oxford United must use the agony of missing out on automatic promotion to make sure they go up through the play-offs.

Although it’s not mathematically certain that the U’s have lost out on the title, most supporters are resigned to the play-offs because it would take a major collapse from Stevenage and Luton in the season’s final 21 days for Oxford to overhaul them both.

And Creighton, who was brought back into the side for the 1-0 midweek defeat at leaders Stevenage, said: “We’ve got to use the hurt from the latter part of the season, where we have slipped up, to drive us forward and make us even more determined to win the play-offs.

He added: “What’s gone is gone, there’s nothing we can do about that.

“We have got seven games, a mini pre-season, if you like, ready for a three-game season.

“That’s what we’ve got to aim for now, we can’t keep our heads down. Everyone’s bitterly disappointed, but we’ll get out on the training ground and look forward to the play-offs, hopefully.”

Creighton, who had lost his place to Rhys Day, gave a fine performance, with Tim Sills getting little change from him, and fellow former U’s striker Yemi Odubade was similarly well contained.

It wasn’t at the back where the U’s lost it at Broadhall Way, but in midfield and up front, because they didn’t trouble the home keeper enough.

“I thought I did what I was put in there to do,” said the former Kidderminster defender.

“I was pleased when the gaffer said I was playing, and I knew Sillsy was playing as well, because I knew he wouldn’t fancy it. And I don’t think Yemi had a kick really.

“I thought we defended quite well as a team, got stuck in when we had to, they didn’t really hurt us many times at all.

“But we never really had the quality on the ball. We needed to be better going forward – everybody.”

Creighton looks set to keep his place at Hayes & Yeading today, the first of two Easter games for the U’s. They also take on Salisbury at the Kassam Stadium on Monday.

Boss Chris Wilder is now hoping for a good April after a dismal March.

“Stevenage, who’ve won eight on the bounce, and Luton, who’ve won seven on the bounce, have shown fantastic consistency, and we haven’t during March,” he said.

“If Stevenage carry on as they’re doing, they’ll achieve a record points total.

“I don’t think we’ve embarrassed ourselves, we’ve just not maintained the consistency we needed, and not been good enough as a group.

“I still believe we can have a good April, and if we do, you never know what happens.

“We have managed to win six out of seven earlier this season, so we know it can be done. We need to win the first one, first and foremost.

“And if it isn’t good enough, we go into the extended season, and looking at the teams in and around us, we’ve had favourable results against them.

“We need to find momentum and form through April, because the results have not been good enough.

“It’s good for me to look at the players in the next month and see who can and cannot handle these pressure situations – and the pressure that goes with playing for Oxford United.

“When you sign players, it’s always a gamble whether they can handle these situations.”

Hayes & Yeading: (from) Masters, Allen-Page, Green, Cadmore, Ruby, Marwa, Canham, Fitzgerald, Coch-rane, Basham, Ide, Overland, Mulley, Binns, James, Wishart.

Oxford Utd: (from) Clarke, Batt, Creighton, Wright, Tonkin, Deering, Bulman, Chapman, Clist, M Green, Constable, Turley, Day, Chalmers, Potter, F Green, Grant, Cook, Hargreaves, Midson, Sandwith.

Today’s game is no longer all-ticket.