KARL Robinson felt the gap between Queens Park Rangers and Oxford United showed in front of goal.

The U’s lost 2-0 in the Carabao Cup second round, with Rob Dickie’s wonder strike against his former club and a Leon Chambers-Parillon own goal sending the Sky Bet Championship high-flyers through.

Like against Bolton Wanderers on Saturday, the visitors created plenty of openings but lacked the clinical edge to beat ex-United goalkeeper Jordan Archer.

QPR were more ruthless and should have added to their two goals, leaving Robinson rueing his side’s inability to convert chances.

Ratings: Every Oxford United player marked out of 10

“The big thing for me is that we’ve performed really well in the last two games and lost both of them,” the U’s head coach said.

“It was a defeat, but a defeat we can build on.

“If you put the last two games together I don’t know how we’ve only scored one goal.

“That’s the big difference. When it gets to the final third, they have an ability to be ruthless and we need to be better than that.”

He added: “When Cameron Brannagan and Gavin Whyte came on the pitch (at half-time) I thought we looked very good.

“If you look at the first 20 minutes we were the better team, but we didn’t take our chances.

“Then they could have scored four or five if I’m being totally honest.

“I thought the second half was very even, it was almost like a game of basketball at one stage.”

Read also: Rob Dickie full of praise for Oxford United

QPR bossed the contest from the 15-minute mark until half-time, when Robinson brought on Brannagan and Whyte for Marcus McGuane and Nathan Holland.

The latter vomited during the interval but returned to the pitch for the second period, only to walk off again before the restart.

With more than 20 minutes left and United still chasing the game, Robinson brought on 16-year-old midfielder Josh Johnson for striker Sam Winnall.

The teenager was preferred to Matty Taylor and his manager thought he coped well.

He said: “It was three reasons: to protect Matty, get Dan (Agyei) in the middle of the pitch and to give JJ a chance.

“We knew the first ten minutes was going to be something he’d never experienced in his life.

“I’d much rather put a player on that we can work with, than make a sub who we know what he can do.

“I think he had five minutes when he got caught up and overran, but he settled into it like he’d been in the middle of the pitch for a long time.

“He should do better with his finishing, but all three subs made a difference.”

Read the match report here

United were backed by 2,058 travelling fans, who made up more than 25 per cent of the 8,154 attendance at Loftus Road.

Goalkeeper Simon Eastwood was the closest player to them in the first half and, having only played against Burton Albion in the previous round this season, thought they created a special atmosphere.

He said: “It was good to make a couple of saves in front of them.

“I love the ground, it’s on top of you so you can hear everything.

“The Burton game felt like the first proper game in nearly two years.

“It’s a lot easier to concentrate as a keeper, as it feels like a game you’ve been used to all your career.”

He added: “It was a tough game, you could see the difference and that’s why they’re a top end Championship side.

“They were always very good on the counter-attack, so I thought they could have turned the switch anytime they wanted.

“Maybe we might have nicked another at the end, but it would have to be a bit of luck.”