Bound to please

United dropped two vital points against a lively Exeter side thanks to a very late penalty converted by Justin Walker. Oxford missed chance after chance, with Jefferson Louis, Steve Basham and James Hunt the main culprits, and Exeter were lucky to go in at the interval with the game goalless. United conceded their first goal in five and a half matches when Robert Flack headed home from a corner in the 58th minute. Substitute debutant Lee Steele equalised from close range twenty minutes later, after Andy Crosby had hit the post, and Matt Bound looked to have sealed the points for the Us when he hammered home a free kick just five minutes later. Even then Oxford had chances to snatch the win, with Steele and ROS Chris Hackett both going close.

Oxford reverted to Ian Atkins favourite line-up, despite the good performance at Bristol Rovers last Saturday. Both Hunt and Dave Savage returned to midfield, with Dean Whitehead and Roy Hunter making way. Steele came on for his first United appearance on the hour, replacing the out of sorts Savage. With United still chasing the game Andy Scott came off the bench to replace Dave Waterman ten minutes later and after just four more minutes Hackett was brought on for Steve Basham.

Lancashire referee AR Leake took charge of a United game for the first time this season and celebrated by booking former Oxford midfielder Martin Thomas, but nicely didn't show yellow to any United players. The crowd was the division's largest of the day, with 7,057 turning up including about 240 away fans and 2,400 fairweather Oxford fans there only for Arsenal tickets (and quite a few Arse supporters were witnessed queueing up too). A match report can be found here.

United remain in ninth position as a result of this point and the Grecians stay fifth from bottom. Hartlepool stay top despite being held to a 2-2 draw by Scunthorpe, with Rushden still hot on their tails after they were held to a 1-1 draw by fourth-bottom Carlisle. United's next opponents, Bournemouth, were also held at home, 0-0 by Hull, but they remain in third position. Cambridge United rose to fourth after condemning Bristol Rovers to their eighth consecutive defeat 3-1, a result which saw the Gas fall to 92nd in the league.

Fifth placed Bury were also held at home, 1-1 by a slightly resurgent Rochdale. York and Lincoln drew 1-1 yesterday for the troubled Minstermen to go sixth. Torquay overcame United's New Year's Day opponents, Southend, 3-1 to go seventh and Wrexham dropped to eighth after losing 2-0 at home to Kidderminster. The result of the day was undoubtedly Boston's 6-0 hammering of Shrewsbury, which lifted the Pilgrims two places and out of the relegation zone. Former Oxford loanee Stuart Douglas hit the fourth. Swansea stay in second bottom place after going down 1-0 at home to Orient. The only other game in the division was Darlington's 0-0 draw at home to Macclesfield.