Oxford United maintained their unbeaten run but were held on the road against a resilient Accrington Stanley side.
Tariqe Fosu gave the U’s a half time lead before Jordan Clark ended the visitors 530 minute run without conceding a goal. Cameron Brannagan regained the Oxford advantage, but Offrande Zanzala sealed a point for Stanley.
Your #oufc XI this afternoon: pic.twitter.com/yg04JfuZc8
— Oxford Mail OUFC (@OxfordMailOUFC) October 5, 2019
Karl Robinson made two changes from the side that beat Gillingham last time out, with Shandon Baptiste and Jamie Mackie coming in for Alex Rodriguez Gorrin, who headed into the game one yellow card away from suspension, and Matty Taylor.
Simon Eastwood began in goal, behind a back four of Josh Ruffels, John Mousinho, Rob Dickie and Chris Cadden.
Brannagan, Baptiste and Ben Woodburn were the three in midfield, with Fosu and James Henry on the wings. Mackie led the line despite Taylor netting three in three.
Unlike their previous few fixtures, Oxford started this game slowly. The flow of the game wasn’t helped either when, after just 14 minutes, Woodburn was substituted after he struggled to shake off an earlier knock and was replaced by Anthony Forde.
Mackie saw a tame 20-yard effort fail to threaten the opener before Fosu unleashed yet another moment of brilliance.
The winger picked the ball up on the left, almost by the corner flag, and cut inside, feigning to shoot on numerous occasions and actually struck past Dimitar Evtimov in the Stanley goal.
The goal came in front of the travelling U’s fans, who were witnessing their 17th goal without reply.
Stanley, who had won the three previous meetings against the U’s pushed for an equaliser and felt they should have been awarded a penalty after Mark Hughes went down, but nothing was awarded.
Rob Dickie, who suffered a back injury in last weeks win, was repelling any possible opposition threats, but just before the break, substitute Forde then needed to be replaced by Gorrin.
Fosu then came close with a 30-yard free-kick which was well saved, before Clarke was denied at the other end by Eastwood.
Jerome Opoku and Henry then got involved in a feisty tussle moments before the break, with both players being awarded a yellow card each as Robinson’s men headed into the break with the advantage.
The break was needed for both sides, but it was the hosts that began the second half stronger and were level just before the hour mark.
Eastwood was beaten by Ross Sykes from a Joe Pritchard free-kick, and Clark nodded into the empty net to level the match.
It was the first goal the U’s had conceded in over eight hours of football, which included a cup win over West Ham United in the process.
Sam Finley then struck the post after Henry lost the ball, before Clark clipped the bar as the hosts pushed for a second.
But the visitors showed their class and regained their lead when Brannagan smashed home his sixth goal of an impressive season from 25 yards.
But the lead lasted just four minutes with Zanzala striking low from range.
Eastwood later denied Pritchard, before Ruffels saw an effort blocked on the line and substitute Taylor was denied by the Stanley goalkeeper.
