Chris Wilder praised the character of his Oxford United players after seeing them battle back for a 1-1 draw at Crewe on Saturday.

But the U’s manager was unhappy with the sending off of captain – and goalscorer – James Constable late on for two bookings.

Constable clinched a point for United on 72 minutes after Dave Artell had given the hosts a first-half lead in the npower League Two clash.

But the U’s leading scorer was booked for a foul on Crewe goalkeeper Rhys Taylor on 82 minutes, and then two minutes from time was booked again when he went in hard on Matt Tootle.

He will now miss tomorrow’s trip to near-rivals Cheltenham Town.

The result stretched Oxford’s unbeaten league away record to four games, but Wilder admitted he had mixed emotions after the final whistle.

“We weren’t great in the first half,” he admitted.

“We played the ball around well, but maybe lacked a cutting edge.

“But I was delighted by the way we went about the second half. We definitely deserved to get something from the game.”

It was the performance of referee Geoff Eltringham that left the U’s manager upset.

“I thought James’s two bookings were a bit harsh,” he said.

“With the first, he has challenged the keeper who has walked into his own post.

“And for the second he has slid in – but they were his only two fouls in the game.

“We had four bookings (Anthony Tonkin, Mark Creighton, Tom Craddock were the others) and the game wasn’t like that.

“The referee had a really difficult afternoon and I will be speaking to him about that. We couldn’t seem to go near their players.”

Wilder thought the result was fair and said the goal that Crewe had chalked off was justified.

“It was the most blatent offside I have ever seen,” he said.

United could also be without Josh Payne for tomorrow’s game, after he had to go off at half-time after being poked in the eye by Crewe midfielder Lee Bell.

Payne, who is on loan from Doncaster, was replaced at half-time with a swollen eye after being unable to continue.

“He’s been backhanded by one of their players,” Wilder said.

“The boy’s eye is three-quarters shut and he can’t see out of it. Hopefully he will be okay.”