Hosts Scarborough Athletic held to a goalless draw by battling Oxford City
After the dominant display at Southport three days earlier, this was a subdued Boro performance, as Oxford City made the long midweek trek North, and battled for a deserved point from a scrappy and frenetic 0-0 draw.
Luca Colville was again missing with a quad injury, and Jack Waldron was unavailable, but Lewis Maloney came on from the bench, his first outing since New Year’s Day, after missing the last 17 games through injury, writes Steve Adamson.
The visitors began brightly, a Zak McEachran shot was blocked by Alex Purver, Josh Parker and skipper Josh Ashby both fired over, and Aaron Drewe crossed towards Parker in the area, but Kieran Weledji chested the ball back to keeper Ryan Whitley.
The game’s star player, Jayden Carbon then jinked into the box from the right, and his low ball into the goalmouth was cleared by Weledji, with Tom Scott firing the rebound straight at Whitley.
Boro’s first chance saw Will Thornton have a volley blocked by Cancice Carroll, then Purver fed Sam Reed, whose shot was deflected over by Phil Croker.
There was little of the intricate, one-touch passing of recent games, but Boro did create chances. Richie Bennett passed out to Harry Green on the left, and he cut inside, his low shot forcing a diving save from Oxford keeper Laurie Walker, Reed had a strike blocked by Chi Ezennolim, then Alex Brown passed forward, Steve Walker headed-on, and Bennett volleyed wide.
Just before the interval McEachran surged forward, and his well-struck shot was deflected by Alex Wiles into the arms of Whitley.
A long diagonal ball from Boro winger Green found Walker, who cut from from the left and crossed into a crowded goalmouth, with Lewis Coyle hacking clear, then at the other end, Whitley dived to gather a shot on the turn from Carbon, and Weledji tackled McEachran as he charged into the area.
Boro’s best move of the game saw Michael Duckworth dink a pass forward to Green, now operating on the right, and he laid off to Reed, who drilled his shot wide of the left-hand post. Brown played a neat one-two with Walker, before his shot was smothered by the keeper.
The lively Carbon went on a couple of surging runs, and Weledji had numerous tussles with Parker, as both sides looked to find a late winner.
Scott fired over for Oxford, then a McEachran cross was headed over by Parker, Purver tackled McEachran as he raced into the box, and Scott scuffed a shot wide.
In Boro attacks a Reed shot found the chest of Walker, and a foul on Bennett saw newly-introduced sub Maloney curl a free-kick inches over.
There was late drama when Boro striker Bennett was sent off after receiving two yellow cards in the space of five minutes, the second after a clash with Ashby.
Not a great game, but a fifth successive clean-sheet and the return of Maloney will be some consolation for boss Jono Greening.
BORO - Whitley, Duckworth, Brown, Weledji, Thornton (c), Purver, Reed (Mulhern 70), Wiles (Tear 46), Bennett, S.Walker (Maloney 77), Green, unused subs - Maltby, Marshall
OXFORD - L.Walker, Coyle, Ezennolim, Ashby(c), Carroll, Parker, Scott, McEachran, Crocker, Carbon (Fleet 72), Drewe unused subs - Andrews, Vaughan, Potter, Roddy
REFEREE - David Jones
GOAL ATTEMPTS - BORO 9 (3 on target) OXFORD 10 (2 on target)
CORNERS - BORO 1 OXFORD 2
OFFSIDES - BORO 2 OXFORD 6
RED CARD - Richie Bennett (Boro) (2nd yellow) 85 min
YELLOW CARDS - Will Thornton (Boro), Josh Ashby, Reece Fleet (Oxford)
BORO MAN OF MATCH - Alex Purver
ATTENDANCE - 1,135 (7 away).