Cardiff boss Omer Riza slams his side after loss at Oxford United

Cardiff boss Omer Riza laid into his side for their lack of urgency in the 3-2 defeat to relegation rivals Oxford.

He said: “You can’t afford to make the mistakes that we made or not show the urgency to shut down that we needed to.

“There were key errors in key areas – for the first goal losing the ball and not tracking runners. It was disappointing to give a goal away like that when before that there was really nothing in the game.

“Then the second goal was from a corner, which was disappointing, and their third one he had too much time and space to step in – you need to get close to stop shots.

“We were 3-0 down before you know it.

“Towards the end we scored two goals from the changes in the personnel, but it’s all too late.

“There’s 60 points to play for, still a long way in the season to go and we look to the next game now against Watford where we need to win.

“We need a win, a win can change everything, but we’re finding it hard to get at the moment. It’s back to the drawing board.”

Oxford’s new manager Gary Rowett enthused over Przemyslaw Placheta’s brilliant third goal in the 3-2 win over Cardiff which gave him a winning start.

Mark Harris put United ahead towards the end of the first half, centre-half Ciaran Brown added a second from a corner eight minutes after the restart and winger Placheta effectively sealed the three points with a superb strike into the top corner from 25 yards just four minutes later.

Substitutes Cian Ashford and Callum Robinson grabbed two late consolation goals for Cardiff, but they had left it far too late.

Rowett said: “Przemy’s is a wonderful strike, a goal worthy of winning any game.

“To get into a 3-0 position is terrific and of course what you don’t then want to do it is allow the opposition to get back into it.

“But the main thing I take away from the game is winning the game, that’s the most important thing. When you’re in this position you want to find different ways to win the game.”

Rowett, who has taken over at the Kassam Stadium from the sacked Des Buckingham, added: “In the first game you’re looking for little bits, you’re never going to have the complete performance – little bits of energy, little bits of a spark or things you can build on or positives and there were quite a few positives.

“Cardiff gave us quite a bit of a challenge at times and moved us around at times.

“Once we settled down, I thought we moved the ball well at times and scored the goals at good times.

“The one just before half time – I’m really, really pleased for Mark Harris, he does a lot of work for a number nine.

“I’ve seen him do so much tireless work in games, you just want to nick a goal to make all that work worthwhile and he certainly did. It was good play from Przemy, he was bright today.

“Then second half you want them to build on that and we scored two very good goals, one a set-piece and then Przemy’s wonderful goal.

“It’s always nice to get that first win.”