Rob Duffy says he's determined to show manager Jim Smith what he's been missing by not having him in the team.

The Welsh striker looks set for a prolonged run in the Oxford United side, if he can maintain the form he showed when coming off the bench at Stevenage on Monday night.

That's because leading scorer Gary Twigg injured ankle ligaments and seems likely to be sidelined for at least a fortnight.

Speaking after the hard-fought 0-0 draw at Broadhall Way, Duffy was pleased with his own contribution, though disappointed at missing the injury-time chance which would have brought United all three points.

"That performance gives me a bit of confidence back," he said.

"I've been lacking a bit of confidence, and I think the sooner I get on the scoresheet the better, and then you'll see the player that you saw at the start of last season.

"That late chance was takeable, I know. I should have hit the target really. I've gone to hit it across the keeper, so if he got a hand to it someone else would have a tap-in, but I dragged it too wide."

There had been speculation before Monday's game that Duffy, who finished as United's 21-goal top scorer last season, might be on the move before the August 31 transfer deadline because he hadn't been in the U's starting line-up for the last couple of games.

But Smith laughed that off.

"We'd only played four games then, and I think he'd been involved (in the squad) in every one," he said. "With Twiggy out, he's going to be very important for us."

When asked about possible transfer movements, the U's boss said: "Nobody's contacted us about any of our players, and financially, with the wage cap, we're not in a position to go after anyone else."

Duffy is determined now to make up for lost time and prove to Smith he deserves to start.

"When you come on and get your chance - because I'd been left out of the team - you've got it in your head that you've got to show him that you should be playing," he said. "That's what I tried to do."