OXFORD United were thwarted by an excellent goalkeeping display from Aaron Ramsdale as their winning run was brought to an end by stubborn AFC Wimbledon.

The Dons stopper made three fine saves to keep out a home side who created the lion's share of the openings without finding a way through to claim a fifth successive victory.

Luke Garbutt, Cameron Brannagan and Jamie Mackie were all kept out by Ramsdale, whose opposite number Simon Eastwood did not face a shot on target.

Wimbledon dug in despite six minutes of stoppage time to claim the point they had set out to claim.

It boosted their survival hopes, while United's performance was encouraging despite being frustrated by the result.

The U's teamsheet showed four changes from the 3-1 win at Walsall, two of which were forced by suspensions to Ahmed Kashi and Marcus Browne.

John Mousinho and Gavin Whyte replaced them, while Mark Sykes and Jerome Sinclair were preferred to James Henry and Mackie, who were on the bench alongside the fit-again Malachi Napa.

Wimbledon were backed by a healthy away support, who had hope early on when James Hanson headed a chance wide.

But the visitors' attacking moments were few and far between in a first half controlled by the home side.

Whyte's pace caused problems from the outset and he linked up well with Sykes.

Wimbledon set out to make themselves tough to break down, which forced United to be patient.

Their early sights of goal came from out wide. Josh Ruffels headed wide at a corner from Luke Garbutt, who then nodded over from Sam Long's cross.

Clear chances took time to materialise, but late in the half their probing began to find the gaps.

It should have led to a goal nine minutes before the break, when Northern Irish duo Sykes and Whyte combined to slice through the visitors' defence. The latter pulled the ball back to Garbutt eight yards out, but his well-struck shot was superbly kept out by Ramsdale.

The goalkeeper was beaten three minutes later, but after Cameron Brannagan's slide-rule pass Sinclair could not quite collect smoothly and at full stretch he prodded a shot wide.

Ramsdale was scrambling again within a minute, when Brannagan's left-footed shot from the edge of the box hit the outside of the near post.

The Dons survived until half-time, but the break did nothing to alter the flow of the game.

Within seconds of the restart Sinclair narrowly failed to tap in Garbutt's cross, while another move ended with Rob Dickie striding forward and rifling a shot just over from 25 yards.

Ramsdale also made a smart save to keep out Brannagan's low shot from Whyte's cross, before the visitors had a spell where they got back into the game.

A shot from the edge of the area by Hanson which flew well wide was as good as it got, though, and United responded with a triple substitution.

Mackie, one of those introduced, thought he had scored within four minutes of coming on after Whyte's cross came his way ten yards out, but Ramsdale made a smart block with his legs.

The same United players combined again ten minutes later, but Mackie's shot was blocked by a defender and despite appeals for a handball the referee waved play on.

The last two home games had yielded stoppage-time winners for the U's - and the addition of six minutes gave them an opportunity, but lightning could not strike for a third time.

Oxford Utd (4-3-3): Eastwood, Long, Nelson, Dickie, Ruffels, Mousinho (Graham 68), Brannagan, Sykes, Whyte, Sinclair (Mackie 68), Garbutt (Henry 68).

Unused subs: Stevens, Hanson, Napa, Carruthers.

Booked: None.

AFC Wimbledon (3-5-2): Ramsdale, Nightingale, Thomas, Kalambayi, Sibbick, Wordsworth, Hartigan (McLoughlin 55), Wagstaff (Pinnock 89), Seddon, Hanson, Pigott (Connolly 73).

Unused subs: McDonnell, Oshilaja, Folivi.

Booked: Wordsworth, McLoughlin.

Referee: Alan Young (Cambridgeshire).

Attendance: 7,678 (1,301 visitors).