OXFORD United’s clinical edge in the final third was key to their victory, according to beaten Accrington Stanley manager John Coleman.

The home side had won their previous four games and had a golden chance to take the lead shortly after Matt Crooks equalised.

But after Seamus Conneely’s shot was parried, Sean McConville (twice) and Billy Kee were denied by a mixture of last-ditch defending and the woodwork.

Liam Sercombe then scored twice in eight minutes to wrap up a 3-1 win.

Coleman felt there was little between the teams, but bemoaned his side’s inability to match this visitors’ ruthlessness in front of goal.

He said: “You’ve got to score when you’re on top.

“They scored at great moments for them. People will go away thinking they are a good side – and they are – but they’re no better than us.

“The last 15 minutes they were but that’s because they had wide players running at us and they looked easy on the eye, but there was nothing in the game.

“If you go through the first 75 minutes I think we’ve just shaded it.

“We had the best chances. We’ve missed three sitters and two open goals, but in the end they punished us and you have to take your hat off to them.

“In the end they were well organised, but we’ve got to defend better.”

He added: “On the balance of the chances we probably had as many as them, but they’ve been clinical.”