Bristol City 2, Oxford Utd 2

By JON MURRAY STEVE Davis chose the perfect time to pop up with his first goal of the season at Ashton Gate yesterday to give Oxford United real hope of avoiding the drop.

The U's were lucky to still be in the game after Bristol City midfielder Scott Murray ran riot.

But thanks to some superb saves by Richard Knight, they trailed only 2-1 and midway through the second half, centre back Davis pushed himself into City's six-yard box.

And he was there when it mattered as goalkeeper Steve Phillips fumbled Paul Powell's cross-shot and Davis knocked the loose ball over the line.

City made five changes to the team beaten 2-0 in the Bristol derby two days earlier, mainly because of injuries.

Steve Anthrobus replaced Nigel Jemson in United's starting line-up.

But there was also a tactical switch, with United adopting a 4-3-3 system, pushing Paul Powell and Derek Lilley up to support Anthrobus. And Powell was instantly involved in a move which should have put the visitors in front. He outpaced full back Joe Burnell on a 60-yard run and crossed behind City's defence, but Matt Murphy wanted too much time and goalkeeper Phillips whipped the ball away.

In the tenth minute, the U's went ahead following a great move. Lilley's deep cross was headed down by Anthrobus, and Powell hooked in a left-foot volley from five yards.

Bristol responded immediately but a vital tackle by Davis stopped Damian Spencer, and Knight saved Tony Thorpe's angled shot.

Yet this United side struggle to hold on to leads and midway through the first half, City were level.

Neil McGowan conceded a free-kick for a foul on Tony Thorpe and from it, substitute Alex Meechan, who had only been on three minutes, deflected Brian Tinnion's shot past a helpless Knight.

McGowan clearly didn't think it was a free-kick because he was booked for dissent.

Murray's runs were causing United massive problems. After one storming burst through the middle, McGowan just got his foot in to knock the ball away. Another terrific run by Murray took him past McGowan again and Knight had to be alert and brave to save at the midfielder's feet.

But six minutes before half-time, Murray and Thorpe combined well on the right and Aaron Brown, poorly marked by Murphy, headed home Thorpe's cross.

It could have been worse for United before the break as Knight saved superbly from Murray, and Brown directed a free header wide.

Simon Weatherstone and Rob Folland replaced Eddie Newton and McGowan at half-time and Weatherstone soon tested Phillips with a 20-yard drive.

After Davis's equaliser on 68 minutes, United looked the more likely to get a third, and in injury time, Powell produced a great piece of skill before delivering a left-wing cross which Mark Watson headed just wide.