OXFORD United's players have been warned that they must get their act together for next weekend's big local derby with Swindon.

Midfield battler Martin Gray didn't mince his words after a 3-0 defeat at Port Vale on Saturday, one of the heaviest defeats under Malcolm Shotton.

"We've got to roll our sleeves up for Swindon or else we'll be in for a shock," he said.

"I don't care if we're safe. We should be coming to places like Port Vale and beating these teams.

"Had we been at home we would have done, but that's something the gaffer's been on at us about . . . it shouldn't be any different away."

All three goals came from set-pieces with United clearly missing Kevin Francis, away on international duty, as much for his aerial presence at the back as in attack.

"It's disappointing that we lost three goals from set-pieces and we were sloppy the way we gave free kicks and corners

away which led to those goals," Shotton said. "Vale's delivery of corners and crosses was much better than ours. Ours was woeful and we wouldn't have scored today had we played all night."

United's boss was angry that his players didn't use their heads more on a boggy surface which had been lashed by rain for hours.

"In the first half we committed suicide by trying to play the ball in areas where it was ankle-deep in mud," he blasted.

"The second half was better, but the overall performance was very disappointing."

Gray added: "We've only conceded 13 goals in 14 games under the new manager and eight of those have come in two games (Ipswich and now Port Vale).

"Neither team played that well, it was a bit of a scrap and the pitch was a quagmire for both teams.

"Against Swindon we'll need to start the way we started in the second half here - and do a lot better."

To compound United's miserable day, they had four players booked and two of them, Simon Marsh and Joey Beauchamp, now look likely to miss the home game with Tranmere on April 18 because of suspension under the totting-up procedure.

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