Manager Chris Wilder said he was proud of his Oxford United team as they gave it a real go at West Ham last night – only to be cruelly knocked out of the Carling Cup deep into stoppage time.

England international Scott Parker snatched a winner for the Premier League side with eight seconds remaining of the second-round tie at Upton Park.

But Wilder felt his players were terrific and the heartbreaking 1-0 defeat only came about because they were going for the winner right at the death.

“I think we gave a great account of ourselves individually and collectively in terms of making it hard,” he said.

“We knew we’d come under pressure, we knew we had to be good with the ball, and I think we were, and that we’d have to be difficult to beat, and I think we were.

“I thought the shape of the side was excellent, we caused them problems and the longer we got into it, the more the players grew, against obviously top-notch, sometimes world-class players.

“We’ve come a long way since Salisbury away, I think. The club continues making strides and going in the right direction.

“To have 4,000 come from Oxford to the east of London on a Tuesday night is an unbelievable support for the football club.

“But they vote with their feet, and they voted to say they like what they see at the moment. We’re doing all right, but we’ve now got to make sure that on Saturday we get our league season off to a win.”

He added: “The goal came from Asa (Hall) playing a little one-two and it was cut out, and they broke. I looked at my watch and turned to my assistant, Mickey Lewis, and said ‘this is their last attack’, and it was.

“Who knows what happens in extra time, but it wasn’t to be.

“We went with a team at the start to be a little bit flatter, and more positive with the two wide players. We had an attacking threat with our midfielders getting up to support Beano (James Constable) and I thought it worked well.”

Goalkeeper Ryan Clarke said the performance should give all the U’s players heart.

“It proved we can mix it with the top teams and it’s a good confidence-booster for us,” he said.

“We can come out of it with our heads held high, we matched them right till the death.”

West Ham manager Avram Grant admitted to the Oxford Mail afterwards: “Oxford were not easy for us at all. Tactically they played very well and they showed good movement on the pitch.”