Ashley Young felt Town had enough chances to earn all three points after the Blues fell to a 2-1 defeat to Oxford United at the Kassam Stadium.

Przemysław Płacheta struck the winning goal with just 13 minutes remaining to put an end to Town’s six-match unbeaten run and deny the visitors the opportunity to move into the Championship’s automatic promotion places ahead of the weekend fixtures.

Leif Davis’s equaliser shortly after half-time had got the Blues back on terms, and chances from Jaden Philogene and George Hirst went begging as Kieran McKenna’s side searched for a goal that would have put them in front before they fell behind.

Town right-back Young felt his side were the most likely to go on and win the game while the score was 1-1, insisting that things could have panned out differently on another day.

“Even before we equalised, I thought it was going to be us that were going to be the team that go on and win the game, especially when you get back to 1-1,” he said.

“We had chances to go and get the second and make it 2-1 and it changes the game if we do that. Oxford would then have to come out and it creates more space for us to go and hurt them.

“On another night that would have been the case, but tonight we’re disappointed with not getting the second goal and going and winning the game. When we were 2-1 down, we created chances to get ourselves back in the game. It just wasn’t meant to be tonight.

“It could be a number of things. We’re disappointed not to get the three points today or at least a point. I just think we need to be a little more clinical in front of goal at times and defend as a team.

“It’s everything, it’s all parts of the game. It was just one of those games where, on another day if we play that game again, we definitely go on and win the game. It’s just unfortunate.

“The possession and the chances we created, even when we went 1-0 down I thought it was us and we had the chances to go on and score. Even going 2-1 down, I thought we could have at least got a valuable point.

“But it’s not to be tonight and you have nights like that, it’s just how you bounce back from that. We’ve had games non-stop and we’ve got another one on Tuesday, so it’s the way we recover now and we’ll look to go and win that game.”

Town are in the midst of a busy run of fixtures, having only travelled and faced Hull City away 72 hours earlier, with the Oxford trip the third of seven matches in just 22 days.

However, Young dismissed suggestions that the games are catching up with the squad, highlighting the depth the Blues have at their disposal and their levels of robustness.

The 40-year-old said: “I don’t think it was. In the second half, I think we looked the stronger team so I don’t think anything’s catching up with us. We’re fitter than any of the teams in this division so I don’t think it’s about the games.

“As a player, you want games. You’d rather be playing games than training and that’s what we’ve had. You don’t really want three games in a row but that’s how the league is.

“We’ve been putting in good performances of late and I think tonight was also a good performance, we just didn’t get the goals to win the game.”

Oxford’s first-half opener came as a result of an uncharacteristic error from Azor Matusiwa, whose weak pass on the edge of his own area was pounced upon by goalscorer Mark Harris.

“Azor’s been one of the standout performers for us this season,” Young said. “If you ask any of the players in there, the players all got round him out on the pitch and in the dressing room afterwards as well.

“You don’t want to see that happen but it’s one of those things, it’s the way we play. Everyone’s going to make mistakes. If you say no-one is going to make a mistake in life, then I’ll call you a liar.

“It happens and we’ll learn from it. We’re not going to change on what Azor could do different there, it’s just one of those things that happens. He got on with the game, he got his head round him and carried on playing.

“He’s got plenty of time to play at the highest level. When you come to England, he came to a different league to what he’s been used to.

“The way he’s settled in, he’s been fantastic. For us, he’s won the most interceptions throughout the league and he’s one of them that wants to get on the ball, wants to play and he can do the horrible side of things with breaking play up and setting the forwards on their way.

“Of course he’s going to feel disappointed, but everyone’s going to get around him like we have done. He’s been fantastic for us this season and I'm sure he’ll be looking to put that right when it comes to Tuesday.”

Town’s goal was as sweet as they come, with Davis meeting Marcelino Núñez’s corner to place an expert volley into the bottom corner for his seventh goal for the club on the same ground he scored his first.

Asked whether the goal had been worked on, Young said: “If you ask the set-piece coach, he’ll definitely say we did work on it.

“Of course, set pieces are vitally important and Huds [Mark Hudson] does so much work on it and we do as well. It’s a credit to him that the boys were on the pitch to get into that position to score.

“I’m not too sure that was worked on but we’ll take them. It’s all about getting points on the board and getting wins, tonight was a little bit disappointing but we’ve got to dust ourselves off quickly and prepare ourselves for Tuesday.”

Photo: Kallum Brisset