Oxford United drew 1-1 with Portsmouth at Fratton Park this afternoon, coming from behind to draw for the second successive away game. Jamie Cumming saved an early Elias Sørensen penalty before Mark O'Mahony broke the deadlock just before the hour. In the 72nd minute, subsitute Louie Sibley came off the bench and almost immediately pulled United level with a well-taken drive from 20 yards to send the U's into the international break unbeaten in their last three games.
United made two changes to the side that started at Luton on Tuesday, with Sam Long replacing Elliott Moore at centre back - Moore was forced off in stoppage time at Kenilworth Road - and Owen Dale making way for Kyle Edwards, making his first start for almost a year.
Portsmouth started brightly and were awarded a penalty for handball in just the third minute that Cumming did brilliantly to save, throwing himself to his left to deny Sørensen before punching the loose ball clear.
The Pompey pressure continued, although United were able to break occasionally, with one Rúben Rodrigues cross for Mark Harris miskicked by the U's leading scorer in front of goal. The next chance was crafted by Ciaron Brown, whose ball into the area found Rodrigues but he was unable to steer his shot goalwards.
There was one breathtaking run by Idris El Mizouni that took him from deep inside the Oxford half into the Portsmouth area, with Nicolas Schmid forced to tip his shot around the post, and Tyler Goodrham kept a ball alive that he had no right to, but Rodrigues was unable to make decent contact with the cross.
The second period started in a similar fashion to the first, with Portsmouth doing the pressing and looking to unlock the United defence. This they managed in the 58th minute, when Murphy did what he did so often with Oxford and sent in a peach of a cross that O'Mahony headed past Cumming and in at the far post.
It was a double substitution that stemmed the Portsmouth tide and brought United back into the game, as Goodhram's run and pass found Louie Sibley, who had been on the pitch a matter of seconds and his shot from outside the area gave Schmid no chance.
Portsmouth tried to hit back with a made goalmouth scramble, but first Cumming pushed out a Christian Saydee shot, with the follow-up from Sørensen also saved before Mark O'Mahony's effort was blocked on the line by Long for a corner, from which Conor Ogilvie hit the post, with most of the Fratton End cheering for a goal that never was.
Another substitute, Siriki Dembélé, broke clear but was unable to trouble Schmid with his shot, while at the other end a shot from Murphy was deflected by Peter Kioso, with Cumming reacting sharply to get down and palm the ball away.
There were no further goal scoring opportunities and, as at Luton in midweek, the U's picked up a welcome away point.
With no game now for a fortnight, it's time to breathe, take stock and regather on 19 October for the visit of West Bromwich Albion. See you all there.
UNITED: Cumming, Long, Brown, Vaulks, Harris (Scarlett 69), El Mizouni, Nelson (Leigh 46), Goodrham, Rodrigues (Sibley 69), Edwards (Dembélé 60), Kioso
Unused subs: Ingram, Ebiowei, Dale, ter Avest, Goodwin
Attendance: 20,125 including 1,936 away fans
Report: Martin Brodetsky; Photography: JasonPix, Steve Edmunds, Darrell Fisher
