Oxford 0
Harriers 0

IF you look up the word gutsy in the Oxford Dictionary then there will be a picture of the Harriers squad after a well-deserved point at the Blue Square Premier title-chasers.

Yes, manager Steve Burr complained that his side’s passing wasn’t good enough, but they still became one of the few sides to take four points off Chris Wilder’s expensively assembled team.

Under Burr’s fearless direction they had the daring to think they could worry a defence that had only conceded six goals at home in the league all season.

And when their enterprising play didn’t come off, they had the pluck and courage to defy a marauding Oxford side that mixed effective football with a willingness to dabble in gamesmanship.

Burr said: “Coming to Oxford and getting a point is pleasing, but I was disappointed in the second half, particularly that we could have done better with our final ball.

“Overall I was pleased, it’s a tough place to come and get a result.

“I thought we had a bit of anxiety in the second half when we gave the ball away and caused our own problems, but that’s something we can work on on the training ground.”

It all could have gone wrong from the start when winger Alfie Potter cut inside almost straight from the kick-off and fired a low effort wide of Dean Coleman’s right-hand post, but once Harriers got into their groove they caused Oxford a ton of headaches.

New signing Marc Goodfellow, making his debut since joining on loan from Burton, was rusty after barely playing for the Brewers and if he had been sharper he might have grabbed a dream goal.

The wideman directed a 20-yard effort just wide to signal Harriers’ fearless intentions and then tested former Aggborough shot-stopper Ryan Clarke twice in a thrilling first half.

He drilled a low effort that Clarke did well to get down and block, while 10 minutes later he had got free on the left but the keeper was equal to his effort.

Robbie Matthews, acting as lone frontman, worked well as a lynchpin after a two-game absence and he spurned a decent chance after Harriers’ best move.

Lee Baker swept a low cross in from the left but the towering forward shinned it off target.

Oxford’s former Harriers hitman and 19-goal top scorer James Constable was also having a day to forget.

The forward dived blatantly in the box after being caught between Duane Courtney and Gavin Caines in the 25th minute He vented his frustration on the innocent Baker minutes later with an angry shove, which left the full-back with a bloody nose and earned the striker a 10th yellow card of an eventful campaign.

Constable had a better claim for a penalty turned down late in the half when he got free of Martin Riley but felt he was pushed by the defender as he tried to meet Jamie Cook’s low cross.

The striker was denied brilliantly by Duane Courtney two minutes into the second half.

Riley had been left for dead by the pacey Sam Deering and he pulled an inviting ball back for the waiting Constable, but the right-back appeared at the last minute to deny him.

The missed chance signalled Oxford stepping up a gear but they found Coleman in defiant mood.

The young keeper had been dropped for the last two games with Jasbir Singh preferred, but he took his chance to play again with both hands.

He parried two low efforts by the tricky Deering and tipped Simon Clist’s free-kick over the bar.

The keeper then denied Jack Midson as Oxford pushed Harriers back.

Midson should have done better after a mix-up by Riley and the keeper but shot wide of an open goal.

Riley played the final 15 minutes with a bandage around his head after typical roughhousing by Oxford but he kept his cool and together with the exemplary Gavin Caines embodied Harriers’ determined rearguard action.

Amidst the Oxford offensive, substitute Damian Spencer could have won the game when Brian Smikle teed him up in the box. He prodded the shot between Clarke’s legs but somehow he arched back to make the save.

A tetchy game, which had seen Chris McPhee and John Finnigan booked, flared into something worse late on when both sets of players squared up to each other, with Spencer and Dannie Bulman receiving yellow card.

With their FA Trophy quarter-final at Oxford on Saturday, February 20 Harriers will feel after an encouraging warm-up they will be more than ready for the main event.

Harriers: Coleman 8; Courtney 8; Caines 8; Riley 9; Baker 8; Goodfellow 8 (Knights, 85); McPhee 7; Finnigan 7; Bennett 7; Smikle 7; Matthews 7(Spencer, 74). Unused substitutes: Singh; Hadley; Sharpe.

Oxford: Clarke; Batt; Day; Wright; Tonkin; Bulman; Clist (Midson, 74); Deering; Constable; Potter (Hargreaves, 58); Cook (Green, 58). Unused substitutes: Turley; Creighton. Referee: David Coote. (Nottinghamshire). Attendance: 5,802 (167)