KARL Robinson urged Oxford United players to focus on the collective after their 2-0 defeat at Wycombe Wanderers.

Goals in each half condemned the U’s to their second successive loss in Sky Bet League One, with Curtis Thompson opening the scoring with a stunning volley and Brandon Hanlan doubling the lead after the break.

Read the match report here

United were on top for the first 25 minutes and had more possession over the course of the match, only to lack the clinical edge to take anything back to Oxfordshire.

In a fiery atmosphere there were a couple of unsavoury moments, with a Wycombe fan invading the pitch after the second goal and getting himself into an altercation with Steve Seddon. 

Later on, another supporter appeared to push Gavin Whyte as the winger retrieved the ball for a throw-in.

Robinson kept his players in the dressing room for a long time after the final whistle, but insisted he was not ranting and raving.

“I said to my players: If they want to be here, brilliant – if you don’t you can come and see me, no matter who you are,” the U’s head coach said.

“One thing I like about Wycombe is they’re a cohesive unit that knows if they’re going to be successful, it’s only going to be playing for Wycombe Wanderers.

“We have very talented players right the way through the team and they really do care, but sometimes they waste their energy on individual things.

“Sometimes we could have made better decisions for the team, rather than themselves.

“I’d like to ask for a bit of a reprieve that I don’t come to you with real open and honest answers.

“I have to protect my players as well at certain stages, but there’s complete and utter clarity.

“Sometimes it’s a bit more deep-rooted than throwing coffee cups around.

“We have to take stock internally and make sure the players realise how lucky they are to play for Oxford United.”

The result sees the U’s drop to seventh in League One, out of the play-off places, while Wycombe go top.

The Chairboys showed the ruthlessness to get in front and the streetwise edge to stay there, with fireworks greeting the full-time whistle.

And it left Robinson rueing fine margins.

“We just feel like when we’re making mistakes at this moment in time we’re being punished, when they make mistakes you don’t punish them,” he said.

“You see the fireworks they put off afterwards – it just shows we’re a better team than maybe we think when you see the reaction of opposition teams when they beat us.”