Scott makes a point

A late goal from leading scorer Andy Scott rescued a point for United at Cambridge and extended the Us unbeaten run away from home to eight games. United fell behind in the 28th minute to a spectacular Shane Tudor volley as the pace of the home forwards often had the Oxford defence on the back foot. The second half saw United take the initiative and Scott's goal secured the visitors a deserved point. It could have been two but Warren Goodhind brought Jefferson Louis down as the United striker was through on goal in the final minute. Goodhind had already been given a yellow card in the first half after a cynical challenge on Matt Robinson, and he saw a second yellow (surprisingly not a straight red) for his foul on Louis. Sadly it came too late in the game for Oxford to take advantage of the extra man.

United made two changes from last Saturday's starting line-up, Adi Viveash returning to the side in the centre of a back three, with Dean Whitehead dropping to the bench. Up front Jefferson Louis started alongside Andy Scott, David Oldfield moving into midfield, with Bobby Ford apparently injured. New signing Roy Hunter was on the bench. Just six minutes into the second half Ian Atkins displayed a rarely seen adventurous side when he replaced an out-of-sorts Oldfield with Swansea Rage Online readers Man of the Match ROS Chris Hackett. It was Hackett's persistence that won United a corner, taken by Paul Powell who had come on for Matt Bound, Oxford switching to a flat back four, just three minutes earlier. The corner was headed back by Andy Crosby for Scott to head home from close range.

Referee R Pearson had a poor game, whistle and card happy, showing yellows to Crosby, Viveash, Dave Savage and James Hunt, as well as dismissing Goodhind. The crowd was a poor 4,621, the second highest in the division. A match report, courtesy of our good friend Jim Henderson, can be found here.

This point lifts United into sixth place, five points behind leaders Hartlepool who beat Wrexham 4-3, thanks to a hat-trick from Mark Tinkler, but only two points behind second placed Bournemouth, Oxford's next opponents in the LDV Trophy on Tuesday, who drew 0-0 at Leyton Orient. Third placed Torquay crashed 4-1 at home to Peter Taylor's Hull, while Rushden slipped to fourth after going down 1-0 at home to Bury. Fifth placed Rochdale also lost at home, 2-1 to Scunthorpe with Dale's goal courtesy of Paul Simpson.

Carlisle slipped to bottom of the league despite drawing 2-2 at Macclesfield, thanks to Swansea's 1-0 win over Southend and Boston winning 3-2 at Darlington with a Lee Thompson hat-trick. Exeter slipped to third from bottom after going down 1-0 at Lincoln. United's next league opponents, Shrewsbury, lost 3-2 at home to Kidderminster. In the day's other Division Three fixture York and Bristol Rovers drew 2-2.

Elsewhere Ben Abbey scored the only goal for Woking, from the penalty spot, reversing their run of defeats as they beat Mark Wright's Chester 1-0. Derek Lilley opened the scoring in the game between Dundee United and Livingston, but United lost 3-2 and now prop up the SPL. Norman Sylla continues to bang in the goals, scoring all Banbury United's in their 4-1 win over Sittingbourne. Oxford United under-17s lost 1-0 at home to Torquay.