Oxford Utd 0-0 Morecambe
KEEPER Barry Roche was the hero of the day as the Shrimps picked up a hard earned point at the Kassam Stadium.
Roche saved a 65th minute Kemar Roofe penalty in the decisive moment of the game. Roofe had broken into the Morecambe area before being bundled over by Shaun Beeley and he stepped up to take the spot kick.
Thankfully for the Shrimps Roche went the right way and produced an excellent save to secure a clean sheet.
The Shrimps, who made one change with Lee Molyneux coming in for Jamie Devitt, looked solid and allowed Oxford plenty of possession.
There were 20 minutes on the clock before any hint of an opening, when a quick break opened Morecambe up. Roofe's flick sent Callum O'Dowda free down the left. The tricky winger put in a cross for Danny Hylton and his shot was well blocked by Adam Dugdale.
The Shrimps hit back and served notice of their threat when Kevin Ellison flicked a header which hit the crossbar on 28 minutes after great work from Aaron Wildig.
United only caused problems when they moved the ball quickly, which they did in a strong finish to the half.
The promising spell began when Morecambe goalkeeper Barry Roche turned a low shot from Kemar Roofe round the post.
The forward was also the catalyst for the next chance, when he won the ball on the halfway line with a slide tackle.
He brought the ball all the way into the box and it eventually found its way to Hylton, whose shot was parried by the excellent Roche.
In stoppage time, the home side went close when Ryan Edwards sent a Danny Rose corner towards his own goal but the ball came back off the right hand post.
The home side turned up the pressure after the break and Adam Dugdale almost broke the deadlock when he sliced an O'Dowda cross past Roche, with the centre back mightily relieved to see the ball land on the roof of the net.
United took the resulting corner short and Roofe let fly with an effort which Roche blocked with his legs.
Morecambe had a brief foray forward, winning a corner from which Mullins launched a counter-attack which led to the penalty.
From there the Shrimps looked solid and caused a few problems of their own with Jamie Devitt curling a free kick just wide in the closing stages.
Oxford Utd: Slocombe, Baldock, Mullins, Wright, Skarz, Rose (Taylor 81), Sercombe, Lundstram, O'Dowda, Hylton (Hoban 67), Roofe.
Unused subs: Buchel, Dunkley, Ruffels, MacDonald, Roberts.
Morecambe: Roche, Beeley, Edwards, Dugdale, Wilson (McGowan 45), Goodall, Fleming, Barkhuizen (Devitt 77), Wildig, Molyneux (Mullin 62), Ellison.
Unused subs: O'Hara, Kenyon, Miller, Parrish.
Referee: Tim Robinson (West Sussex).
Attendance: 5,273 (89 visitors).