Oxford United experienced joy and despair in the last few minutes at the Raymond McEnhill Stadium.

Substitute Onome Sodje looked to have earned the league leaders a priceless three points when he headed home a free-kick ten minutes from time.

But the U's had victory snatched from their grasp when centre half Chris Todd headed in a right-wing cross in the 88th minute to salvage a point for the Wiltshire side.

The visitors dominated the first half but couldn't put the ball in the net.

Sodje's goal should have meant a win, but they didn't defend well right at the death, and it cost them.

Their goal came when Adam Chapman drove a free-kick into City's penalty area and Sodje headed down and into the net from ten yards, his first goal for the club since signing on loan from Barnsley with the help of the 12th Man Fund.

Oxford have headed the table all season and they didn't want to lose top spot, even though they have games in hand.

United forced the issue from the start, applying strong pressure in the opening minutes with Adam Chapman's long throws causing the Salisbury defence problems.

After one bout of head tennis, Alfie Potter hit an angled volley over the bar.

Chapman and Potter were playing in the positions they took up in United's last match, as Chris Wilder used Frannie Green in the central midfield role between Dannie Bulman and Simon Clist, in the absence of the suspended Adam Murray.

But he had an advanced starting position, backing up Wilder's pre-match statement that Oxford would be "going for it" in the second half of the season.

Chapman remained at right back, and Potter was on the right up front with acting skipper James Constable in the middle and Jack Midson on the left.

Injury-hit Salisbury, in contrast, named just three subs.

The pitch had looked very hard at lunchtime, but by 3 o'clock the top had softened up and it was perfectly playable, though bobbly in places, which was not a great deal different to the way the Kassam Stadium pitch might have been later on Boxing Day afternoon.

As the U's continued to press in the early stages of the game, Constable had a close-range shot deflect from a corner, and from that flag kick, when Potter headed the ball back into a packed goalmouth, Mark Creightion didn't react quick enough as it ran just in front of him and out for a goal kick.

On 20 minutes, Salisbury punted the ball upfield and Matt Tubbs was on it in a flash, up against just one defender.

But as he advanced on goal and pulled the trigger with a left-footed shot, Creighton got in the way for a vital block to deflect it for a corner.

However, United defended that well and then resumed their all-out attack.

Midson went close with a shot on the turn and then another, straight after, that looked goalbound but hit a defender.

It was becoming the Jack Midson Show as on the half hour, Creighton headed a free-kick back from the far post and it was the former Histon striker meeting it again, but he couldn't direct his header, under pressure, on target.

The visitors had strong appeals for a penalty when Potter went down in the box, and seconds later, Constable was quickly onto Luke Foster's low driven pass out of defence,dinked the ball over James Bittner, but the keeper just got something on it to divert the effort wide.

As the first half came to a close, Potter was booked for a dangerous tackle, and Salisbury's Chris Todd was yellow-carded for his aggressive reaction to it.

In first-half injury time, Chapman hurled in one of his long throws, and Constable hooked a shot just wide.

It didn't take long after the restart for the visitors to reassert their authority.

Chapman fired wide when running in from deep after good work by Clist, but the right back was guilty of over-elaborating when defending in his own box, and almost gave away a penalty.

United made a double tactical substitution in the 63rd minute, freshening up the attack by introducing Matt Green and Onome Sodje.

Salisbury had more of the play and began to look increasingly dangerous on the counter-attack.

Oxford Utd: Clarke, Chapman, Foster, Creighton, Sandwith, Bulman, F Green (Cook 80), Clist, Potter (M Green 63), Constable, Midson (Sodje 63). Subs not used: Turley, Perry.

Referee: Robert Whitton (Chelmsford).

Att: 2,677 (1,546 from Oxford)