JOHN Lundstram bemoaned a pair of free headers which saw Oxford United’s push for the Sky Bet League One play-offs slowed by Southend United.

Marc-Antoine Fortune and Theo Robinson escaped the U’s defence to nod in during the second half and bag a 2-0 win at the Kassam Stadium.

It halted a five-game winning run for Michael Appleton’s side in all competitions and saw the gap to the play-off places grow from four points to seven.

United were on top in the opening half-hour, when Chey Dunkley headed against the woodwork, but struggled to turn pressure into chances after the break.

And the manner of Southend’s goals frustrated Lundstram.

The United skipper said: “It’s not like us to allow two free headers in the six-yard box.

“We’ve got to learn from those things and make sure it doesn’t happen again.

“I can’t remember it happening too many times before so for it to happen twice in one night is disappointing.”

He added: “If we want to be up there in the play-offs we’ve got to be winning games like this.”

Appleton felt his side should have been awarded a penalty ten minutes from time when Marvin Johnson was brought down, but referee Darren England pointed for a corner.The U’s boss was pleased with elements of his side’s display, but while echoing Lundstram’s thoughts on the softness of Southend’s goals, he also pointed to issues at the top end of the pitch.

He said: “We needed to do more in the final third to get anything out of the game.

“Our approach play was excellent, but then for whatever reason, whether it was a touch, a pass, a shot, we chose the wrong option.

“We got punished by conceding two free headers in the box, which is very uncharacteristic for us.”

The result also continued Southend’s status as one of United’s bogey teams in recent years.

Following on from their 2-1 win at Roots Hall in September, this was their 12th victory in 17 meetings, a sequence which has seen them lose just once inside 90 minutes.

Appleton said: “I’m glad to see the back of them.

“It’s one of those times when you come away thinking ‘how have we lost that game?’

“I’m sure we’ll try and find a way of beating them at some point, hopefully it will be when it really counts.”