Dane Scarlett scored for the second game running in Oxford’s 1-1 draw with Derby at the Kassam Stadium – their fifth successive Championship stalemate.
Scarlett, making his first league start for the U’s, fired them in front in the 12th minute, deftly turning in Idris El Mizouni’s cutback from the left after good work from Siri Dembele.
Nathaniel Mendez-Laing drilled in an equaliser from 18 yards for the Rams 10 minutes into the second half after Will Vaulks gave the ball away.
Both teams had come up from League One and settled in well in English football’s second tier, Oxford perhaps unexpectedly so.
Head coach Paul Warne made four changes to Derby’s starting line-up from Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Millwall, where they had to settle for a point after a late Lions goal.
Oxford winger Dembele had the game’s first shot but fired well over from 25 yards.
Scarlett’s early goal came from a fine move of slick passing and County were close to equalising a minute later when Ben Nelson managed to block Mendez-Laing’s fierce shot.
The visitors had to wait until past the half-hour mark, however, before they delivered another effort on goal, Ben Osborn connecting with Corey Blackett-Taylor’s left-wing cross but sending it wide.
United winger Tyler Goodrham then charged in from the right to fire a cross just beyond the far post and a few minutes later fizzed a 25-yard drive narrowly wide from a similar angle.
County looked lively at the start of the second half, frequently breaking forward with menace.
Kenzo Goudmijn saw Nelson block his goalbound shot and when Mendez-Laing levelled, drilling an angled shot into the bottom-left corner, it was probably deserved on the balance of play.
A brief respite for the U’s came with a free-kick from outside the area that Scarlett struck well but into goalkeeper Jacob Zetterstrom’s arms.
Oxford manager Des Buckingham brought on ex-Derby midfielder Louie Sibley and Josh McEachran to strengthen the middle of the pitch and top scorer Mark Harris to replace a tiring Scarlett.
It became frantic at both ends of the pitch towards the end.
United finished the stronger, with Sibley setting himself up a volley that forced Zetterstrom into a save before Goodrham similarly went close from long range in stoppage time.
The hard-fought point apiece leaves both teams in mid-table and maintains Oxford’s unbeaten home record.
