Oxford 0 Argyle 0: Match report

Match report: Oxford 0 Argyle 0

IF, in the final analysis of 2014-25, Argyle fail by a point or two to reach their season’s objective, the goal at the open end of the Kassam Stadium will have played a significant part.

In a game of few opportunities, the frame of that goal denied the Pilgrims from sneaking away from Oxford with all three points – not once, but twice, within a matter of seconds.

The highlight of a match hallmarked by safety-first, disciplined shape and watertight defences came just before half-time, when Reuben Reid’s header hit both crossbar and post, bouncing perilously close too – maybe even on – the goal-line, but not over it.

So the Pilgrims had to be content with a point – and every member of the Green Army knows what one of those is – as they continue to yo-yo into and out of the top seven as the season dwindles to its conclusion.

Injury concerns about centre-back Carl McHugh and left wing-back Tareiq Holmes-Dennis had cleared up enough for manager John Sheridan to be able to name a side unchanged from the one that had started the 2-0 Home Park defeat of Northampton Town 2-0 seven days previously.

Holmes-Dennis, who is on loan to Argyle from Championship side Charlton Athletic for the remainder of the season, thus lined up against the club with which he had spent the first half of 2014-15 and completed a full set of having played for and against both of the afternoon’s combatants within three months.

The only change to the Argyle squad was on the substitutes’ bench, where Olly Lee was included after completing his temporary move – until the end of the season – from Birmingham City. Lee Cox, who had lined up alongside Lee in a Final Third League Development Cup game on Tuesday, gave way after suffering a groin strain in the 3-1 win over Bristol City.

Oxford made one side that had secured a fine 1-0 away win against Argyle’s play-off rivals Bury a week earlier but it was a potentially significant one with Danny Hylton, their top scorer – by some distance – having to sit out proceedings after collecting his tenth booking of the season at Gigg Lane.

Callum O’Dowda stepped into his boots in a Us line-up that included former Pilgrim Alex MacDonald, who played 35 games across two loan spells at Home Park in 2012 and who had already scored against Argyle this season in a 1-1 draw at Burton Albion, having moved to Oxford from the Pirelli Stadium in the January transfer window.