Des Buckingham’s first home game in charge of Oxford United ended in a goalless draw against league leaders, Bolton.
There was little between the two sides over the course of the 90 minutes.
Here are three talking points from the game:
Line-Up
There was a welcome return for Elliott Moore after his suspension against Cheltenham but Jordan Thorniley was selected alongside the skipper with Ciaron Brown playing as left back in the absence of the injured Greg Leigh.
Cameron Brannagan and Marcus McGuane were the midfield duo and with Ruben Rodrigues missing through suspension, Billy Bodin was alongside Kyle Edwards and Stanley Mills as the attacking duo, with Mark Harris up top.
Clean Sheet
It was obvious that against Cheltenham, the absence of Moore was a big miss – not just on the pitch in terms of defence, but also as a leader.
Against Bolton, who scored seven last time out, the backline looked comfortable and disciplined despite changes in personnel and positioning.
Having failed to keep a clean sheet in their last two league games, this will be a huge confidence boost ahead of some big fixtures.
In Need of a Striker
While the defence looked solid, the lack of goals is becoming apparent. Yes, Oxford scored three times at Leyton Orient and twice at Lincoln but with Rodrigues missing, there was a lack of creativity.
Bodin came in and still looked sharp and while Harris looked to put pressure on the backline it was to no avail.
Oxford have scored goals this season but a striker is a position that Buckingham will need to address in January.
