DES Buckingham rued Oxford United’s inability to be ruthless in the final third as his side came away with a point at local rivals Reading.

The clash between the two clubs was the first in the league for more than 20 years, with the sides forced to settle for a 1-1 draw.

Ciaron Brown gave the U’s the lead six minutes before the break, however Sam Smith equalised just four minutes later.

United head coach Buckingham said: “It’s two points dropped, they’re a team we should be coming here and taking full points off.

“I thought we had more control in the game and the thing that’s crying out is that bit in the final third, and making sure we can finish off the possession and play that we do have.

“When we’re missing a few of our key players, which we clearly are, it’s important that we get goals from other ways, and we’ll continue to work on it.

“We spoke about having control and making sure we play the way we wanted to, and I think we did that in patches.

“We changed the shape – we’ve lost a couple of key players and Billy Bodin wasn’t fit to start, and we lost Ruben as well for tonight.

“They’re two key players and two top goalscorers, on top of Greg Leigh of course, so we’re missing goals from the team.

“It’s a strange feeling, it’s one where you want to come here and win the game, but we must make sure that we come away with at least something.

“I thought we created enough to come away with a win, but we didn’t hit the back of the net.”

He added: “We have to work with the ones we have fit at the moment and make sure that we do as much as we can to play to our strengths with what we have.

“It’s a long list that keeps growing, but that’s not an excuse. We’ve got a good squad and that’s being tested right now, but we will work to get ready for the home game on Saturday.

“If we can get it right in terms of how we want to play, especially in that final third when it clicks, I think we’ll be dangerous.”

On the goal his side conceded, Buckingham said: “I wouldn’t say we switched off, but what you need to do is make sure you keep pressure on the ball, and it was one long ball down the pitch that caught us out, and we must make sure we’re switched on for those key moments, especially just before half-time and after we scored.”