Oxford United battled their way to a point at Adam's Park this afternoon as they made it five games unbeaten with a 0-0 draw.

In a game of few chances, United kept their first clean sheet of 2024 to maintain their play-off push without ever being at their best in a hard-fought non-derby.

Wycombe had the better of the opening minutes, with Jamie Cumming forced into a save from Dale Taylor after 12 minutes, a move that so startled referee Simon Mather that he pulled a muscle and had to be replaced by fourth official Marc Wilson.

After a lengthy delay, United began to grow into the game and saw a Josh Murphy drive bend just the wrong side of the left-hand post and a Ruben Rodrigues effort flash wide of the same upright. At the other end, Cumming denied Taylor again and made an important save from a Jack Grimmer strike that was sneaking inside the near post as the more direct style of Wycombe pushed United back.

The Chairboys should have been ahead at the break, but Beryly Lubala somehow sliced wide of goal with nobody in it or near him for the best chance of the game, and the lively Kieran Sadlier fired into the side netting when he might have squared to an umarked teammate soon after the break as the home side continued to create the better chances.

Sub Will Goodwin gave United more physical presence in the second half, and their best spell of the match came in the last 20 minutes. Goodwin almost set up Rodrigues on a swift counter attack, before a superb tackle from Josh Low took the ball off his toe as he prepared to fire home a Mark Harris cross after 75 minutes.

Cameron Brannagan forced Max Stryjek into a good save a minute later, but that was United's only clear sight at goal against a very solid Wycombe defence.

Lots of effort, a clean sheet and a point on the road. Not the drama, perhaps, of previous encounters between the two teams, but United move on to two home games this week against Northampton and Orient. Win those and this point gains significance.

Att: 6,781, including 1,752 away

Report by Chris Williams, pictures Steve Edmunds, Steve Daniels, Darrell Fisher, Rex Shutterstock and JasonPix