United made an emotional return to the Football League after four years in the wilderness but had to settle for a point at the Pirelli Stadium. In an open game on a lush surface neither side could quite find the finishing touch to claim all three points on the opening day of the season.

The starting line up saw Harry Worley make his debut alongside Jake Wright with Damian Batt and Anthony Tonkin at full back. In midfield there were debuts for Simon Heslop and Asa Hall in a trio with Dannie Bulman while the Wembley front line of Green, Constable and Midson led the attack.

Worley was a dominant presence in the opening exchanges with the pace of Wright mopping up alongside, although the big centre half collected the first booking of the season after 12 minutes for a trip as Burton broke swiftly before Shaun Harrad fired over. Those first twenty minutes were evenly contested and played at a tremendous tempo but neither side truly settled into the passing game that their respective managers would usually demand.

A Heslop strike from 25 yards looped off a defender and over the bar on 23 minutes but the closest we came to a goal was a stabbed effort from Shaun Harrad on 31 that was brilliantly saved by Ryan Clarke down low to his left at close range.

Hall pinged one well over on 32 after good approach play by Green but Harrad saw another deflection take his shot wide on 43 so honours and chances pretty much even at the break.

The second half began with Midson slamming a volley over  the bar with real venom and the game becoming more open. Former Kidderminster midfielder Russell Penn arrived late in the box but fired over before Hall arrived in similar style at the other end but headed so hard into the ground that it bounced perfectly into the keeper's grateful hands.

Heslop was increasingly influential, full of running and invention, and on 64 another driving run ended with a magnificent pass across the edge of the box for Hall. His well timed run deserved better than a slightly scuffed shot which keeper Legzdins got down smartly to smother. Heslop and Hall's runs will create plenty of further openings this season but wouldn't be possible without the discipline of Bulman sitting just in front of the rock solid back four and breaking up Burton attacks.

United made two changes around the hour mark to bring on the ever lively Sam Deering and Chelsea loanee Danny Philliskirk for the teenage forward's debut but were finding it difficult to get through the Burton back line where Darren Moore alone is bigger than my garden shed and just as hard to get past.

Lively Burton sub Lewis Young, brother of Villa winger Ashley, caused problems with a run and shot on 73 which Clarke will have been relieved to see fly wide, and over the ninety minutes there was certainly no lack of attacking intent from either side despite the scoreline. The U's  forced late corners and had the pressure but couldn't  quite find a way to make it a perfect start for their magnificent supporters.

United won all three of their visits to the Pirelli side when the clubs met in the Blue Square Premier so perhaps expecting a fourth win on the same ground was too much to ask for. Instead a draw and a first point were a good start to the season. Oxford United are back: see you on Tuesday for Bristol Rovers in the Carling Cup and then that big return to home action against Bury next Saturday.

Att: 4, 321

Report by Chris Williams

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