Oxford Utd 1, Crewe 1 OVER the past month, Oxford United have got so much out of the habit of winning that they've forgotten how to do it.

After missing chance after chance, they finally broke the deadlock in Saturday's relegation zone battle against Crewe when Dean Windass headed home a splendid goal with 19 minutes remaining.

But they left the door open just enough for Colin Little to snatch a point with an equaliser three minutes from time.

It's another agonising case of two more points dropped that the U's can ill-afford.

Coming just hours after it was confirmed that John Gunn was pulling out of a consortium to buy the club, it was a wretched day all-round for Oxford United.

They couldn't even blame the toss this time. For a change they had the chance to kick downhill in the second half but weren't able to capitalise on a Crewe defence which looked fragile at best.

Malcolm Shotton recalled fit-again Andy Thomson and gave a full debut to Tony Wright in central midfield in the absence of the suspended Martin Gray.

Wright soon made an impact with some raking 30-yard passes out to the flanks in what soon developed into an open and attractive game with players having plenty of space in which to play.

For the first time, Shotton spent periods of the game in the directors' box but he was soon back down on the touchline as things didn't go to plan.

An early shot on the turn from Windass, 20 yards out, kept Crewe keeper Jason Kearton on his toes and United kept possession well, even if they didn't carve out too many clear-cut chances. Yet David Smith is unlikely to get a better one than that which came his way in the 22nd minute.

Joey Beauchamp fired in a powerful left-foot shot which Kearton couldn't hold in the wet conditions. He pushed it out and there was Smith to knock into an empty net.

At least, that's how it should have been. A combination of Smith's slow reactions and the keeper recovering his ground miraculously meant Kearton got back up to save the follow-up shot miraculously.

Eight minutes later and the U's squandered another golden chance when Smith's cross picked out Windass with a free header, but Kearton saved comfortably.

The frustration of not being able to break through was evident as Windass got away with a reckless challenge on the Crewe keeper.

The first half ended with Wright curling a long-range shot just over the bar and at the other end, West Indian striker Rodney Jack screwing a 20-yard shot across the face of goal.

The rain, which had caused the Centre of Excellence players' pre-match ball skills demonstration to be postponed, for fear of wrecking the pitch, continued to lash down in the second half.

Nicky Banger replaced Thomson and Windass twice went close with headers.

Yet Crewe were beginning to look more dangerous on the counter-attack and when Jack outpaced Phil Gichrist to set up Mark Rivers to his right, only a superb save from Phil Whitehead kept United on level terms.

When Simon Marsh had a goal disallowed because Windass was offside, it seemed as though it would be one of those days for Oxford.

But in the 71st minute, Marsh finished off a well-worked move with a glorious left-wing cross which Windass met with a thumping header, back across Kearton, and into the net.

Hanging on desperately to their lead, United had a let-off when Little fired in a 15-yard shot that Whitehead deflected past a post with an outstretched right arm.

And they couldn't hold out. With three minutes to go, Jack toe-poked the ball through to Little who turned his marker and shot low past a furious United keeper.

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