Jamie Cook believes the stirring second-half performance with a player short showed how Oxford United’s players are prepared to graft for one another, writes JON MURRAY.

“I thought in the second half we put a real shift in down to ten men, we just couldn’t get that second goal,” said the striker.

“We got off to a good start. I know it took a deflection, but it was definitely my goal,” he added.

Despite the U’s going down to ten men after Luke Foster was dismissed, it was hard to tell that Barrow had an extra man – a testament to how much ground many of the U’s players covered.

“We seemed to get in great positions, it was just one of those afternoons where it didn’t quite run for us,” Cook said.

“But everyone put in a shift, we worked really hard for each other.”

Manager Chris Wilder said he couldn’t fault the players’ commitment as they kept driving forward to try to win it first time round, without having to go to a replay.

“The effort the players put in was tremendous,” he said.

“It wasn’t a defensive shut-out type of performance, but a real desire to go out and win that game of football.

“We deserve to be in the hat, and we did well because we really wanted to drive forward and win the game.”

Wilder said he couldn’t dispute the red card Foster received if there was contact, as it appeared. And it was unfortunate for Alfie Potter that he then had to be sacrificed so United could send on Ross Perry as a replacement centre half.

“If Luke has touched him, it’s the correct decision,” United’s manager said.

“I fault my own player because he’s got on the wrong side of him.

“Yes, it was a pity for Alfie that he had to come off because he’d been getting a lot of the ball, and had been running at them and causing them problems.”