Paul Mullin scored some vital goals for the Reds – Woking, Bournemouth in the FA Cup and plenty more in his 10 years at the Crown Ground.

And, in the week the Stanley record appearance holder announced his retirement from football, the Reds could have done with another tap-in or header from the 37-year-old.

With Stanley on the brink of a securing a coveted play-off place, a win on Saturday would have gone some way to making the top seven dream a reality.

Throughout the afternoon, the Reds jumped from eighth to sixth to seventh as the results of the teams around them swapped and changed.

Only an 88th minute equaliser by Gillingham kept John Coleman’s side out of seventh spot – and if Andy Procter, Jimmy Ryan, Ian Craney or Rory Boulding had been able to put chances away, the Reds boss would have felt a tiny bit more comfortable with four games to go.

Instead a refereeing decision, some solid defending and the Reds inability to convert chances leaves it as you were, with Stanley in eighth spot as they missed out on their ninth win at home on the trot.

Coleman admitted: "I just wish we hadn’t chose this late in the season to turn in a lack-lustre performance and that’s probably the first one we have thrown in this year and that’s disappointing."

While Coleman was disappointed after the game, he was also fuming that a tackle on Procter was left unpunished in the fifth minute.

A looping Ryan ball into the box was inexplicably fumbled by United keeper Ryan Clarke and fell to Procter with the goal at his mercy.

As the Reds captain was lining up to shoot Oxford debutant Jimmy Sangare – who was to prove to be a dominant force at the back for the visitors – slid in and put Procter off his shot.

Oxford boss Chris Wilder and their contingent felt their man got the ball and it was a superb tackle.

Referee Colin Webster seemed to agree but ordered a goalkick saying the ball bounced back off Procter. Coleman, though, felt Oxford had a let -off.

"I’m disappointed. We had enough chances to win the game but for the fourth consecutive draw the referee has had a massive influence on the game," he said. "It should be a penalty to us and a sending off.

"This referee is in the top three in the league at the moment and I’d say Saturday wasn’t one of his better games. He knows he’s taken our player out and perhaps it was too early for him to send him off.

"If you see Andy Procter’s leg, you’ll see why it’s hampered him for the rest of the game.

"That’s four decisions that have cost us games, it has cost us eight points and, if you add those eight points onto our total, it’s a different story."

But while Coleman was furious at that he admitted his players put in an ‘insipid’ show which is so unlike them this season.

However, if they had been able to convert one of their chances the Reds chief would have been more forgiving.

Phil Edwards headed over, Sean Hessey’s free kick was saved by Clarke and Ian Craney had effort s blocked or saved.

Ryan showed superb vision to try to catch the keeper off his line from 50 yards and it certainly had the stopper back pedalling but he got there.

Then sub Rory Boulding had a chance at the death but couldn’t find the target as the two sides – who switched places in the league in 1962 and 2006 – chalked up their second goalless draw of the season. A history-making games for Oxford’s first visit to the Crown Ground but not a memorable one.

Coleman added: "We can moan or we can keep going. We need to work hard now in training and develop a plan for teams who come here to sit behind a ball which Oxford did and fair play to them."