NEWPORT County AFC defender Darren Jones admits the Exiles didn’t deserve anything as they failed to break down ten-man Oxford United on Saturday.

County were beaten 1-0 at the Kassam Stadium as they couldn’t respond to Michael Collins’ 41st-minute winner despite a red card for Tyrone Barnett on 55 minutes.

Jones says there is no excuse for the visitors failing to get back into the game but he expects Oxford, who started the weekend in the bottom two, to be contenders alongside County at the end of the League Two campaign.

“I’m not sure if we deserved anything to be honest; maybe a draw at most,” said the 31-year-old.

“We just couldn’t break the ten men down in the end and we should be beating ten men.

“We have to move the ball quicker but Oxford United are no Dog & Duck team. They defended very well.

“It is a tough place to go and the league table doesn’t tell the full story right now.”

The defeat ended County’s seven-game unbeaten run in the league and Jones expects them to bounce back at home to York City.

“We’ve been on a good run and it’s just a shame that it’s come to an end but we’ll draw a line under it now and start another run on Saturday,” he said.

“We have to make Rodney Parade a fortress now and if we can keep winning at home and nick a few draws and wins away then we’ll be up there come the end of the season.”

It was a disappointing way for the Exiles to mark the third anniversary of Justin Edinburgh’s appointment as manager.

“We don’t like losing football matches and to lose to a flukey goal like we did obviously puts a dampener on the day,” said Edinburgh of Collins’ curling free-kick that evaded everyone and curled in at the far post.

“But it’s not about me, it’s about the team and we’ve lost our unbeaten run, which is very disappointing.

“I thought we had enough possession but we perhaps didn’t do enough with the ball.

“You can say we should have beaten ten men but nine times out of ten that doesn’t happen, especially when a team’s holding on to a lead.

“It’s quite easy to observe and say we should have done more and I am disappointed to lose but I’m not going to criticise my players.

“There was nothing in the game,” he added. “It was a very open game and very competitive and we always looked to be positive.

“It’s our first defeat in seven games so we have to see the positives and it’s not like we were overrun, we just didn’t have enough guile to get back into the game.”