Goalkeeper Ryan Clarke proved the hero as Oxford United maintained their unbeaten home run with a 1-1 draw on Saturday.

The U’s are yet to lose a league game in front of their home supporters this season, but by the same token have won only once.

And while they have picked up three away wins, they must turn around their results at the Kassam Stadium.

This was not a great display from Chris Wilder’s side, but they should take heart because at the same stage last season they would almost certainly have lost the game.

The reason they didn’t at the weekend was down to Clarke (pictured).

United’s No 1 made three top-class saves – two of which came within one minute in the first half.

But Clarke was powerless to stop Peter Murphy’s second-half equaliser, which cancelled out Paul McLaren’s 35th-minute deflected free-kick, to leave honours even.

Missing skipper Jake Wright through suspension, Wilder brought in Andy Whing to play alongside Michael Duberry because of an injury picked up in the week by obvious replacement Harry Worley.

And United’s new-look back line were put under pressure right from the off.

Inside two minutes, Accrington went close when Ian Craney shot narrowly wide after a fine run through the middle.

United had a major let-off five minutes later when a free-kick from Sean Hessey was met by the unmarked Dean Winnard, whose header beat Clarke, hit the inside of a post and rolled along the line.

Wes Fletcher then turned the ball in, but was flagged offside, to the relief of the home crowd.

Kevin McIntyre picked up the first yellow card of the game when tripping Simon Heslop, Peter Leven’s 30-yard free-kick was well-struck, but comfortably saved by Sean Murdoch from United's first effort on target.

Clarke then made his superb stops to deny Fletcher and then Kevin Long.

Following Whing’s poor pass, Andrew Procter fed Murdoch, whose neatly-flighted shot looked destined for the net until Clarke’ outstretched hand tipped it over.

From the resulting flag-kick, Clarke made an equally-impressive save.

United were caught napping with a short corner, and when the ball was crossed to the far post, Long, only six yards out, thought he had scored with a downward header at the far post that the United keeper somehow kept out.

Chants of England’s No 1 rang out around the stadium after a stunning double stop.

It was an end-to-end clash, and from the second of two quickfire United corners, Heslop blazed over from 12 yards.

Then great play from Potter saw Rob Hall get a sniff of goal, but he chose to cut inside rather than shoot and the chance had gone.

Luke Joyce was booked for a foul and Hall, and then Hessey followed into the referee's notebook – his bad tackle on Hall proved critical.

From the free-kick some 30 yards out McLaren’s effort took a wicked deflection, completely wrong-footing Murdoch and finding the net.

The second half began rather slowly, United making a double change on 54 minutes when Josh Payne and Andy Haw-orth replaced McLaren and Heslop.

It took Haworth just 60 seconds to get involved, becoming the first United player to be booked following a late tackle.

Clarke had to make his third super stop of the game when a Joyce cross was headed goalwards by Long, but the keeper saved well to his left diving through the air.

However, he was powerless to stop Murphy from equalising a minute later when the midfielder fired home right-footed from 20 yards with a neat shot after a passage of poor play from Oxford.

To their credit, United then seemed to step up a gear with Potter seeing his shot saved by the legs of Murdoch.

James Constable and Payne both saw efforts save, while at the other end, Clarke was equal to a shot from Ian Craney.

United almost snatched victory when Duberry’s header in the last minute of normal time grazed the top of the crossbar.

But that would have been harsh on the visitors, would have picked up the points had they not come up against a goalkeeper in inspired form.