JAMIE Hanson says Oxford United are desperate to make amends to their supporters with a display against Brentford in the Emirates FA Cup this afternoon.

When the third-round draw was made a month ago, the U’s were bang in form and confident of upsetting their Sky Bet Championship hosts.

But three successive defeats in League One have piled the pressure back on Karl Robinson’s side, who crashed 3-0 at struggling Plymouth Argyle on New Year’s Day.

Hanson did not mince his words about the performance and is determined to repay the debt to a packed away end at Griffin Park.

“From our point of view to lose 3-0 at Plymouth was embarrassing,” he said.

“It wasn’t good enough and we owe the fans an apology. Hopefully we can do that on Saturday by beating Brentford.”

The 23-year-old felt the U’s had stopped doing the scrappy side of the game which had taken them on a run which had seen them lose just once in 16 matches before Christmas.

He said: “It’s the mentality. Even if we go 1-0 down there’s still time to pull it back.

“We showed it against Doncaster

(a 2-2 draw), we had that fighting belief and I think that was missing against Plymouth.

“We need that back and then we can start picking up results again.

“It’s a sold-out away end so hopefully we can put on a fighting performance.”

Hanson played – and won – at Brentford while he was at Derby County.

The summer signing, who is now United’s first choice right back, knows the Bees will start as favourites, but they are also fallible.

He said: “They’re not robots, it’s men against men out there so hopefully we can get into the next round.

“We know it will be a tough game but they’re having a bad run of form as well. It’s just whoever performs on the day.

“I think if we cause an upset then why can’t we go on another run again?

“That’s our mentality, to go there and get through to the next round of the FA Cup.

“We know it will be a tough game, Brentford are a good team, but that’s what we’re aiming for.”