Adam Murray praised Alex MacDonald’s ‘X factor’ after the Oxford United winger’s double sunk his Mansfield Town side.

The 3-0 victory was just what the U’s needed, but meant an unhappy return to the Kassam Stadium for their former midfielder.

Murray felt United should have no worries about escaping the relegation battle in Sky Bet League Two and admitted the Stags lacked a player like MacDonald.

He said: “What happens is people look at the situation that Oxford are in and say ‘oh, they’re down there, they can’t be a very good side,’ but I see through that.

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“I see the players that Michael (Appleton) has brought in and there are some top-drawer players.

“You don’t go to a top-of-the-table team and buy one of the best wingers off them, if he’s not effective.

“MacDonald showed that he has an X factor – and we haven’t got that.

“We have to give 200 per cent every day, and in every game and we didn’t do that.”

Unlike United, Mansfield had played in midweek, winning 1-0 against Luton Town.

The Stags boss felt the extra game was a factor in their lacklustre display.

He said: “We knew, as staff, that as a group we were up against it and I think that’s how it looked.

“We looked like we didn’t have anything in us, we had no energy, we didn’t try to grab the game by the scruff of the neck and we paid the price for it.”