Oxford loss is Gaz's biggest disappointment as Blues boss (From Bucks Free Press)

Oxford loss is Gaz's biggest disappointment as Blues boss

10:28am Tuesday 30th October 2012 in Sport By Andy Carswell

GARETH Ainsworth said losing the M40 derby to Oxford was the lowest point of his Wanderers' managerial career.

The U's were clinical as they seized on the few chances they managed to create, leaving Ainsworth disappointed at his side's defending.

Wanderers were hit by a double sucker punch by conceding at the start of both halves, and although Joel Grant's coolly-taken penalty dragged them back into it a third Oxford goal killed off any hope of a point.

Ainsworth said: "Disappointing that one. Probably the most disappointing since I've taken the reins.

"Everyone's more down than any performance since I took over.

"A couple of sloppy goals have cost us. We started badly with the goal after four minutes. It allowed them to sit back and soak up some of our pressure."

The caretaker manager was left deflated at a poor first half performance, much as he had done when Blues drew 0-0 with Barnet on Tuesday night, and he said: "We are going to have to address this because that's two games running that's happened.

"We've worked a lot on defending in the last two, three weeks and we've been pretty solid up to today.

"Going forward has been an issue. On Tueday it was an issue but we had the security of a clean sheet and that's going to get you a point at least."

But he added he thought Wanderers could still get back into the game after geeing his players up at half time, despite Tom Craddock doubling Oxford's lead less than a minute after the break.

That wasn't the momentum shifter though, with Ainsworth saying he was optimistic of a result until defender John Mullins pounced on a mistake by Wanderers goalkeeper Nikki Bull to head home the third.

Ainsworth said: "There was a spell after we scored where I thought we could have got another one and got back into it. The killer blow is the third goal.

"We went out [after half time] thinking we could still win the game. We finished the first half really well - we dominated the last ten minutes and had chances.

"It did look like we were getting back into it. Even when they got the second I thought there were still goals in us. We were back to being the one goal behind and I thought we can get back in this. Going two behind again, that third was a real killer blow."