OXFORD United will play in Sky Bet League One for a seventh successive season after their promotion hopes ended at Rotherham United on Saturday.

The U’s can finish no higher than eighth, even though a win over Doncaster Rovers this weekend would take them to 78 points.

Here are five reasons why United fell just short in a fierce League One promotion race.

THE VERDICT: Deflation replaced anticipation as Oxford United's play-off challenge fizzled out

INJURIES

Karl Robinson has rued his side’s luck with injuries many times this season and the U’s head coach has a point.

It goes right through the spine of the team: Jack Stevens missed three months after catching Glandular Fever and, since returning, has not consistently saved United points like he did in his breakthrough campaign.

Elliott Moore has been in and out at centre back due to various issues, which contributed to the lack of a settled defence for most of the season.

Meanwhile, Alex Gorrin’s campaign was ended by an anterior cruciate ligament injury in November. Those who called for a new holding midfielder in the January transfer window may feel vindicated, with the U’s often vulnerable in the middle of the pitch.

In attack, United looked so dangerous when Sam Baldock partnered Matty Taylor in a 3-4-1-2 formation and the team scored 13 goals in the four games they started together.

The striker’s knee injury in early March was a big blow and the U’s have taken just ten points from eight matches since then.

HIGHLIGHTS: Watch the key moments from Oxford United's loss to Rotherham

DEFENSIVE RECORD

Three goals against Doncaster would equal United’s third highest-scoring Football League campaign in their history.

Unfortunately, the U’s have also conceded 58 times – more than anyone else in the top half of League One.

They managed to outscore the opposition in many games, but when you have an off day in front of goal it leaves you in trouble.

In some ways United have been unlucky, with Stevens and Moore missing part of the season and Jordan Thorniley recalled by Blackpool in January.

Ciaron Brown came in on the left side of defence and has looked very solid, while Luke McNally has a lot of potential at centre back.

But United have still conceded too many avoidable goals, particularly in the run of three defeats in seven days earlier this month that left them with a mountain to climb.

A settled defence would go some way to removing this issue and it must surely be a priority next season.

READ MORE: Karl Robinson cryptic about where Oxford United could have improved

LOSING LEADS

United failed to win after going ahead ten times in League One this season.

In fairness, five of those games were in the first two months of the campaign and the U’s have been better at protecting leads since then.

But seven of those ten matches ended in defeat and that is a lot of dropped points.

United’s game management has improved this season and it earned them useful draws against Ipswich Town, Rotherham, Sunderland and Wigan Athletic.

But were they too eager to slow the contest down after scoring early at Rotherham on Saturday, or at Portsmouth in March?

Perhaps it is the benefit of hindsight, but they lost control of both games by conceding goals late in the first half and never recovered.

RECORD AGAINST TOP SIDES

It is important to note a few caveats here. Firstly, you would expect United to fare worse against the better teams in the league.

Meanwhile, their record against the top eight has improved from eight points in 14 games last season to 16 points this time around, despite a higher standard of opponent.

You can also point to half the squad being absent for the home matches against Wigan and Rotherham, while good performances at Plymouth Argyle and at home to Sunderland were only let down by a lack of ruthlessness.

However, the U’s only picked up 21 points from a possible 60 against the rest of League One's top 11, who broke away from the bottom 13 several weeks ago.

That is a lower tally than all the teams above United and those lost points directly strengthened their rivals, helping them move agonisingly out of sight.

READ MORE: Jack Stevens 'devastated' as Oxford United's play-off dream ends

STRENGTH OF LEAGUE ONE

United have already accumulated enough points to finish in the League One play-offs in every completed season since 2010. Whether your glass is half-full or half-empty, that is a fact.

They improved on last season’s tally of 74, but an incredibly strong division means they will not even take their challenge to the final day.

Ultimately, the fact that their rivals were that little bit more consistent is why United have fallen short of the play-offs.

At first glance, the top half of the third tier could easily be the bottom 12 of the Sky Bet Championship.

That will be the case next season: four of the top seven will stay down, while Portsmouth, Ipswich, Bolton Wanderers and Charlton Athletic will feel they are capable of improving on this year’s finish.

You also have Peterborough United, Derby County and Barnsley coming down from the Championship.

It will be just as tough in 2022/23, so a similar points tally may well be needed just to finish in the top six.