Forest Green Rovers 3 Oxford United 3

Oxford United will be kicking themselves for failing to pick up the three points, as they led 2-0 through two James Constable penalties given within five minutes of each other in the first half, but then allowed Forest Green Rovers back into the game. In the second half Adam Murray scored direct from a free-kick to give the Us the lead again, but again they were pegged back, and in the end United were grateful to get anything out of a game in which they were second best.

United were under the cosh early on, and had Billy Turley to thank for keeping them in the game. Then Lewis Haldane was sort of fouled for the first penalty mid-way through the first half, and five minutes later Craig Farrell was brought down after good work by Chris Carruthers for penalty number two. Darren Jones pulled a goal back two minutes later after Matt Day hesitated, and five minutes after that Conal Platt equalised after the Oxford players stopped, thinking the ball had gone out of play. Whether it had or not is irrelevant; have they never been told to play to the whistle?

Things were slightly less frenetic in the second half, although again the home side looked to be creating the better chances. Then after a foul on Haldane on the edge of the box Murray scored with a brilliant shot to give Oxford the lead again. Again the advantage lasted just five minutes before Platt matched Murray's effort from a Rovers free-kick. United looked ponderous up front, and again Rovers applied the late pressure, but United held out and the point was all they deserved.

United fielded a make-shift defence, with Luke Foster suspended and Damian Batt injured. Day replaced Batt at right-back, while Kevin Sandwith made his first start for the Us in place of Foster. In midfield the Us were without Simon Clist, who was unable to play against his former club because of an agreement made when he joined Oxford, and he was replaced by Eddie Hutchinson. Craig Nelthorpe missed the second game of his three-match ban, with Haldane replacing him on the left wing. United made just one substitution, when Yemi Odubade replaced Hutchinson after an hour, to little effect.

The showboater in the middle was AD Sainsbury, who was in charge of Oxford's 1-1 draw at Torquay United back in October. He did award Oxford two penalties, but he also showed yellow cards to Adam Chapman, Hutchinson, and Haldane, the last-named for mouthing off as the teams left the pitch at half-time. The attendance was quoted as 2,027 of whom 1,104 were in the away end and side. That's more than half, yet again. Whether or not United can continue to bring such large support in their fourth year of non-league football probably depends on how realistic their chances of going up are. Another season of mid-table nothingness will probably see crowds plummet.

The point does send Oxford up to sixth place, but that's rather misleading due to all the games in hand that the other clubs below them have. United are still six points behind fifth-placed Torquay, who have played two games fewer. FGR remain 18th, two points above the drop zone. Torquay, for whom Tim Sills scored, were surprisingly held to a 1-1 draw at home by Rushden & Diamonds. Burton Albion remain top despite losing 2-0 at Cambridge United, who go second but are still 11 points adrift of the Brewers. Histon drop to third after going down 1-0 at Kettering Town, who are ninth but just one point behind Oxford having played six games fewer. Fourth-placed Stevenage Borough won 1-0 at second-bottom Northwich Victoria, despite being reduced to ten men in the first half. Wrexham dropped to seventh place after going down 1-0 at Eastbourne Borough, but Dean Saunders' team have four games in hand on United. Eighth-placed Crawley Town host Weymouth tomorrow, providing the Terras can find enough players to field a team.

Lewes lost 1-0 at Mansfield Town to stay bottom, 17 points from safety. Woking climbed to 19th thanks to a 1-0 win over Barrow, which plunges the one-wheel boys into the relegation zone. Grays Athletic climbed above Barrow, but are still fourth from bottom, after beating Altrincham 2-1, with Jamie Slabber scoring their second goal. Salisbury City held Kidderminster Harriers to a 0-0 draw. [@news]2468[/@news][@opponent]forest green rovers[/@opponent]