A POSITIVE Chris Wilder was quick to try and lift his players after Oxford United needed a last-gasp equaliser against Wycombe Wanderers.

The home side played for almost the entire second half with a man advantage after Charles Dunne was sent off for an elbow on winger Alfie Potter.

But they were unable to make the most of it and needed a goal deep into stoppage time from Johnny Mullins to claim a 2-2 draw.

Wilder freely admitted the home side had not been at their best, but sought to lift a disappointed squad, whose return of ten points from the opening four games kept them top of Sky Bet League Two.

He said: “There were a few gloomy faces in the changing room afterwards, maybe because we were a bit disappointed in how we played and maybe a touch disappointed in the result, but I’m not down at all.

“It’s a battling point, we know we have conceded goals at bad times, especially the second one.”

For Wilder the crucial phase of the game came early in the second half.

After Dunne’s red card, Danny Rose levelled the scores and the leaders looked a different side to the one which had struggled in the first half.

The U’s boss believed the game was there for the taking and quickly made an attacking change by throwing on winger Ryan Williams.

But a careless tackle in the area from David Hunt saw Dean Morgan earn a penalty, and he took advantage from the spot to score his second goal and make it 2-1, leaving leave United chasing again.

Wilder said: “The game changed on the sending off, but not for as long as it should have done. “We should have been playing against ten men at 1-1 and looking for a winner.

“I’m just disappointed because they were massively on the back foot from that moment.

“Dave dangled his foot and Dean was always going to take that opportunity to go over it and then he stuck the penalty away pretty comfortably.”

He added: “This game was always going to be difficult. “They were never going to come here and say ‘over to you’. “You could see that in their performance, so you have to give them a touch of credit.”