Tom Craddock felt Lincoln goalkeeper Elliott Parish should have been sent off for bringing him down just before half-time at the Kassam Stadium on Saturday.

The incident was a major talking point in United’s 2-1 victory over the Imps, who remain in serious danger of the drop.

In the end, it did not matter, because the U’s hit back from a goal down at the break to claim all three points, with Craddock hitting a 76th-minute winner.

Of the 45th-minute foul on him by Parish, Craddock said: “It was a short back pass, I went through and saw the goalkeeper coming out.

“I touched it round him and it wasn’t a big touch, it was sort of in my stride ready for me to put it in.

“But the referee and linesman said I knocked the ball out. Yet the ball only went out because I got taken out by the goalkeeper!

“We couldn’t change that decision at half-time. We were very frustrated that we were getting beat and we wanted to get back on track.

“But I think it was definitely a sending-off.”

His manager, Chris Wilder, disagreed, and felt the ref probably got the decision right.

“I don’t think it was a red because I thought the lad was on the line for them,” he said.

“I was a bit annoyed with my players, because I think they thought they could use that as a bit of a get-out-of-jail card, which was plain rubbish from my point of view.

“We’d been too slow, too pedestrian, had not enough people wanting to get on the ball, or to run beyond and hurt themselves a bit, and take themselves out of the comfort zone.

“It was too easy for the opposition. I told the players, let’s not make that an excuse, let’s get on with it.”

And thanks to Asa Hall’s equaliser, and Craddock’s winner, United chalked up their 11th home league win of the season.

Craddock said: “We gave a sloppy goal away. But we stuck at it and it’s good to get the win and send the fans off with a victory.

“They can look forward to next season when hopefully we can cut out those silly mistakes and push on.”

Hall’s volleyed goal was his first in front of the home fans in the Oxford Mail Stand.

He said: “It was a good feeling to score at that end at last. I thought about that as I celebrated.

“It’s again been a long time coming, but it was nice . . . when it falls to you in the box like that, it’s always a good opportunity.

“Coming in our last home game, it was good timing.”

Craddock’s goal was his 15th of the campaign for the U’s – and 17th all told.

It puts him level with James Constable in total goals for the season and just two behind the supporters’ player of the year in terms of United goals.

“Everyone keeps talking about that. It’s just a bit of friendly rivalry,” he smiled.