It's not often you can say Stanley and Chelsea have something in common - but this season they share the meanest defences in the league.
They are the only two sides in England not to concede a league goal so far and while that’s par for the course for the money-bags Blues, it is not something that can be said about John Coleman’s side.
On average in their four seasons in League Two, the Reds have conceded 74 goals - that’s two goals every match.
From¿Michael Welch to Alan Rogers, Graham Branch to Andy Todd, Mark Roberts to Sean Webb - Coleman has tried a number of ways to solve the problem of the ball flying in the back of the Reds net.
But, after four league clean sheets this season, the Stanley boss may feel he finally has the answer.
Former Macclesfield defender Sean Hessey was outstanding against Oxford on Saturday and has struck up a strong partnership with last season’s Player of the Year Phil Edwards.
At the start of the campaign, Coleman was insistent he was looking for a 6ft tall centre half to add some aerial power to the back line but this seems to have only spurred the defence on to show that it’s not necessary.
Dean Winnard had to get used to the unfamiliar left back slot last season and did so well he earned himself a two-year contract at the Crown Ground and he has continued to impress.
And Johnny Bateson, who was more out than in at Bradford last season, has gained confidence with every game and made the right back position his own.
With Charlie Barnett and Andy Procter just in front of them, providing another barrier and keeper Ian Dunbavin standing firm as the last man it’s so far so good for the Reds who last conceded a league goal seven-and-a-half hours ago.
Not that Coleman will be getting carried away as he knows that, while Chelsea may not, Stanley will concede at some stage - but the longer they can go keeping those clean sheets, the better.
And Oxford did represent a big threat to the blank league tally so far in the much-hyped first ever meeting between the two sides - with Oxford taking Accrington’s place in the league in 1962 and Stanley replacing Oxford in 2006.
It brought ITV’s cameras to the Kassam Stadium hoping for a goal flurry - especially with both having heroic cup defeats in midweek against Premiership opposition. So, after all this build-up, it was destined to end goalless - not that it meant the clash lacked entertainment.
The game was on a knife edge as Stanley should have been out of sight by half-time with United keeper Ryan Clarke putting on a top show to keep out the Reds with Stanley’s ‘new’ signing Terry Gornell playing the full game as the lone front man,
Clarke superbly denied former Tranmere striker Gornell at the near post, palmed away a Ray Putterill effort and kept out Sean McConville as the Oxford goal led a charmed life.
But then it was a turnaround after the break as it looked like the Reds would pay for their inability to find the back of the net for the third league game out of four.
It was then United who dictated the pace and James Constable, who has scored 50 goals in the last two seasons, fired one inexplicably wide from close range and then Dunbavin dived low to deny the impressive striker to keep that clean sheet.
There were also two controversial moments which could have swung the game the Reds way.
United’s Matt Green caught Hessey in the head with his arm, for which he only got a booking and then Jimmy Ryan’s blast looked to hit the hands of the otherwise solid defender Harry Worley in the area but referee Mike Naylor was having none of it.
In a lively finale, Stanley applied the urgency with unmarked Andy Procter heading off target and Bateson crashing an effort just wide as the first clash between the two sides continued the themes of their seasons so far - strong defence but a struggle for league goals.
Coleman admitted: "Given the chances Oxford had in the second half, possibly the draw was the fair result. We dominated the first half and dominated possession and we were just wasteful in the final third
"We know we have good players, the system that we have adopted is designed to tighten us up and to a certain extent we have done.
"I thought Sean Hessey was outstanding and has a particular good start to the season as have the rest of the defence.
"It’s a big positive to not have conceded a league goal and to come away from home and not concede - and don’t forget Oxford scored six in the League Cup.
"So it is a big plus but, if we are going to have big chunks of the game, we are going to have to convert it into goals and hurt teams if we are to win games and move up the league."
