Skipper James Constable described Oxford United’s second-half cave-in at Macclesfield as “not acceptable”.

The striker, who had scored the opening goal as the U’s sauntered into a 2-0 half-time lead, was left shell-shocked by United’s uncharacteristic collapse after the break.

“We’ve got to start taking responsibility,” he said.

“We’ve been on a good run away from home, not losing a game, and we’ve come here and first half were absolutely coasting – we could have had five or six – and then we turn out second half and perform like that . . . it’s just not acceptable.

“It was comfortable. You don’t expect to lose a two-goal lead, especially away from home, at half-time, and concede in the manner we did.

“None of their goals were good ones, just some poor defending.”

Ryan Clarke’s failure to deal with Vinny Mukendi’s shot started the malaise, leading to the Silkmen’s opening goal, which gave them the belief they could come back and win the match.

Constable said: “The first goal was needless.

“It wasn’t a decent build-up, just a snap-shot. The keeper’s been brilliant all season, but it’s not a good save.

“He’s got to either catch it or punch it clear, they’ve punished it and they’ve got a bit of momentum from that.

“The second and third goals weren’t good enough defending, and that’s it. It’s cost us.

“I think the lads maybe thought at half-time it was done and dusted.”

Manager Chris Wilder said Josh Payne’s yellow card was the reason he was subbed, because the team couldn’t afford for him to get sent off.

“Josh gets booked, ridiculously, and puts himself on a knife-edge – that’s the reason he came off,” explained Wilder.

“But for the first five or ten minutes of the second half we never turned them round, and played in their half – we tried to play football all over the pitch, and got caught out.

“We’ve been bullied in the second half. We just wanted to do the nice things and not put our foot in.”