ASSISTANT manager Mickey Lewis says that if Oxford United continue to perform to the same standard, a win is just around the corner.

But while a number of things transpired against the U’s in Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Burton, Lewis refused to blame bad luck for their failure to get three points after seeing the visitors hit back from 2-0 down to snatch a point.

United once again failed to take a number of opportunites in the first half, before goals from Alfie Potter and Peter Leven put them in control.

However, two big incidents went against Oxford in the second half – a debatable decision from a linesman for a penalty and a huge deflection for a goal – while there was also a glaring late miss from leading scorer James Constable.

It is the second successive game in which the U’s have created far more chances than the opposition, but come away without a victory.

“We are in a spell where we are playing some really good football, but sometimes things just don’t go for you,” Lewis said.

“You look at Burton’s second goal. It’s a mistake from us and Jake (Wright) has held his hands up for missing the header, but the shot’s taken a big deflection and gone in.

“We don’t like to say we’re unlucky because that’s not a word we use in the dressing room because you make your own luck, but sometimes you can be very unfortunate.”

Having gone 2-0 ahead, Lewis knows that United should see the game out.

But he said that the positive aspects of their performance should give everyone belief.

“We are a really positive football club, and of course we are all massively disappointed that we did not win that game,” he said.

“But I wouldn’t say that anyone I’ve seen in this league this season has produced the kind of football that we have in the first half. At times we were absolutely outstanding.

“But we know that we have got to take more of our chances, and then when we’ve gone 2-0 up we have to be professional.

“Having just got that second goal, the ball has got in our penalty area too quickly.

“It’s a very soft penalty which the linesman has been very quick to give, but while we feel it was maybe harsh, we shouldn’t have allowed them to get into that position.

“They have had a few chances, but we have come strong again at the end and on any other day Beano (James Constable) scores, but it wasn’t to be.”

To add to United’s woes, they suffered more misfortune with Deane Smalley forced to miss the game after suffering from bad toothache, while both Andy Whing and Paul McLaren came off injured.

“Things like that happen in football,” Lewis said. “Andy was feeling ill, tried to get through it, but couldn’t. He was sick after he came off, and then Paul McLaren picked up an injury while making a tackle.

“But we’ll regroup, pick everyone up and go again at Dagenham on Tuesday.”