MICHAEL Appleton hopes Oxford United’s players will use the frustration from their midweek defeat to improve their chances of causing another Emirates FA Cup upset.

The U’s winning run was ended at five games by a 2-0 defeat at home to Southend United on Tuesday.

Both goals came from free headers, breaching a defence which had been a key factor in the side’s excellent run.

At first glance, it did not look like ideal preparation to face Premier League side Middlesbrough in the fifth round on Saturday.

But Appleton believes the setback could actually improve the underdogs’ chances.

“I hope it does,” the head coach said.

“From a defensive point of view we’ve been excellent over the last five or six weeks.

“There just looked no danger in the game at all. I didn’t see Southend getting in our box, let alone scoring.

“I think that will be a decent reminder for us.

“The players will be feeling frustrated, but I can’t be too hard on them – they’ve just gone and won five straight games, which hasn’t been done here since 2008.

“They are intelligent enough to realise what they’ve done right and wrong.

“They will lick their wounds, we’ll re-address it on Thursday and crack on for Middlesbrough.”

The FA Cup has been a factor in United’s resurgence over the past three months.

Victories against Sky Bet Championship sides Newcastle United and Rotherham United have propelled the club into the last-16 stage for the first time since 1993/94.

Middlesbrough represent another step-up, but if the U’s were to go through it would match their best run in the competition, set 53 years ago.

Appleton said: “I said to the players they had done ever so well to get themselves into this round of the FA Cup.

“We want to enjoy ourselves, but we want to try and win the game as well.

“We know they’ll need to have an off-day and Simon Eastwood’s going to have to play well, but we’ve got players more than capable of hurting them.

“The cup competitions have been good to us.

“Some people see them as a distraction and they can be for some clubs, but we view it completely differently.

“We see it as a chance to kick-start a run, but more important is the feel-good factor each win brings to the place.”

The Southend defeat saw United lose ground in the race for the Sky Bet League One play-offs, with the gap to sixth place now seven points.

Appleton said: “I’m under no illusions about how difficult it’s going to be game-after-game.

“It might have come at a good time at the start of it.

“If it is a reality check and it’s what the players needed, it’s good to get it out of the way now.”