LUKE Garbutt cursed Oxford United’s self-destructive streak after falling to a 4-2 defeat at Accrington Stanley which heightened their relegation worries.

The visitors had spells in the game where they were the better side, but familiar failings cost them dearly.

After missing chances at one end, the U’s then conceded cheaply at the other.

They had a mountain to climb at 2-0 and 3-1 down before twice reducing the deficit, only to allow Stanley to score soft goals to stay in charge.

Garbutt scored United’s first shortly after coming off the bench – having only got a call-up late in the after-noon to replace the ill Ahmed Kashi.

And the Everton loanee bemoaned the way the visitors’ performance had been undermined by their own shortcomings.

He said: “We created loads of chances in the second half, but we just shot ourselves in the foot every time by conceding stupid goals.

“I thought we were going to come back a couple of times to possibly get a draw out of the game, but that’s the way things are going at the minute.

“There’s enough talent in this side, but we just need to keep battling away.”

A poor night was made even worse by the sight of Jamie Mackie and Marcus Browne coming off with hamstring injuries, while Cameron Brannagan’s booking will earn him a two-game ban.

With Gavin Whyte’s head injury also set to rule him out of Saturday’s trip to Blackpool, these are testing times for boss Karl Robinson

He said: “They’re poor goals, poor defending in wide areas that cost us. In both boxes we were found wanting again

“I can’t ask them to give any more effort.

“I don’t think anybody can say there was more in the bank for us to run around and be more aggressive.”

The result saw the U’s slip a place in the Sky Bet League One drop zone, deepening the gloom around the club a day after they were hit by more off-field financial troubles.

Robinson insisted he was not concerned by the news of the latest winding-up petition.

He said: “The club have got things under control and I trust what they say with that. But it doesn’t help.”