Gillingham boss Justin Edinburgh admitted the performance against Oxford was unacceptable.

The Gills were beaten 1-0 at home and had a player sent off.

Report: Gillingham 0 Oxford United 1

He said: “It’s bitterly disappointing with a performance that was unacceptable.

“Off the back of a Christmas period, where at Peterborough we were very good and Millwall where we dominated the ball, without creating enough chances, I certainly didn’t expect that performance.

“But I take full responsibility from that. It was a shock to the system to see that performance put in by the players.

“We were second best all over the pitch, from start to finish, and it really surprised me from the players.

“We were caught on the back foot and never at any stage got going.”

Oxford won the game with a goal from a training-ground corner routine.

Edinburgh said: “We work on things, we look at things and go through things, but it was a poor goal to give away.

“As bad as we played, to concede from the goal we did and how we did, it sums it up for me.

“I don’t think that performance represented what I am about. That is what hurts me most, more than anything, they represent me and that’s not me, they are fully aware of that.”