OXFORD United felt hard done by over the goals they conceded – but have to do better in the final third, says Anthony Forde.

Karl Robinson’s side were knocked out of the Emirates FA Cup at the first round stage, losing 2-1 at home to Peterborough United.

Both managers agreed an offside flag should have cancelled out Siriki Dembele’s opener.

The hosts drew level through Josh Ruffels just before half-time, but Jack Taylor’s deflected strike won the tie.

Not for the first time this season, the U’s felt a promising display had gone unrewarded.

And Forde felt it was a missed opportunity.

He said: “We had chances again and didn’t take them. I didn’t think they had a lot of chances, we were the better team but they got the second goal and the win.

“In the end, it was little things we need to be better at which let ourselves down.

“The league’s more important, but we want to win, it’s still the FA Cup.

“We’re very disappointed we didn’t get a better result.”

Mide Shodipo impressed in his first 90 minutes for more than two years, but Robinson highlighted the QPR loanee as being among the home players who did not make the most of some excellent positions.

He said: “I think Mide is starting to show a real quality in his play.

“The next stage of his development is now that he got into three or four wonderful areas and I don’t think we picked out a yellow shirt.

“That’s the one bit I think we have to improve on going forward.

“We can’t keep dominating these games and getting into really good areas and being wasteful, against a good Peterborough United team.”

The hosts made five changes to their line-up from the midweek win against Rochdale.

Overall, Robinson was pleased with what his fringe players delivered, despite the result – with many of them set to get another chance at Walsall tomorrow night in the Papa John’s Trophy.

He said: “I think the players gave everything, probably more so than we did against Rochdale, but we ended up getting away with a win.

“They (Peterborough) have wonderful players at the top end of the pitch, so you’re always going to be open to that counter-attack or one bit of magic.

“Today it was a deflection and an offside goal.”