Oxford United gained their first clean sheet in 24 games on Saturday at Priestfield Stadium.

It was a terrific battling and resilient performance, with defenders throwing themselves in the way of shots, and some brave headers under pressure in the box.

But they had one major scare 17 minutes from the end when Ryan Clarke dropped a free-kick played high into the area, after colliding with his own defender Harry Worley.

The ball dropped loose for Gillingham’s big striker Adebayo Akinfenwa, but he poked his shot wide.

And there was another fright two minutes into stoppage time when Cody McDonald's header at a corner hit the bar.

Not since September 11, when they won 2-0 at Hereford, had the U’s managed a shut-out, despite chalking up plenty of wins along the way.

Ben Purkiss for the suspended Damian Batt was the only change in the visitors’ starting line-up.

Simon King, the former Oxford United defender, was among the Gillingham subs.

More than 600 Oxford fans, having paid £23 a ticket, were perched high behind one goal, predictably out in the open where they were exposed to the elements.

It didn’t take long for it to become clear how wind-affected the game would be.

Gillingham attacked strongly from the start, and Jake Wright needed to make one last-ditch header, and then a block to keep Oxford’s goal in tact.

Garry Richards was allowed a free header, however, at the Gills’ first corner in the third minute. He headed it down, and the ball bounced up for Ryan Clarke to save above an opponent’s head four yards out.

The referee had to give a free-kick when his assistant, just a yard from the incident, failed to wave for a foul on Tom Craddock right under his nose.

And from that free-kick, near the right corner flag, Harry Worley nearly connected when the cross came in from Paul McLaren.

James Constable broke free on the right to fire in an angled shot, that keeper Alan Julian touched into the side-netting.

By now United were totally in the game, and MacLean squandered a reasonable opportunity when he drove over the bar from ten yards.

There was a good tempo to the game, United closing down well in all areas, and both Worley and Wright staying tight, when they could, on the dangerous Akinfenwa, a bulky and powerful centre forward.

Gillingham’s front two of Akinfenwa and Cody McDonald combined well after Paul McLaren gave the ball away with a skewed pass.

United caught the home side napping when they took a free-kick from 45 yards out very quickly.

It was played forward to Craddock, who turned and shot wide from the edge of the area.

There was a flare-up just before half-time when McLaren was late with a challenge as centre back Matt Lawrence cleared, and Lawrence retaliated impetuously with what looked like a stamp.

MacLean got involved, protesting about the reaction, and suddenly a dozen players surrounded the protagonists.

It could easily have been a red card for Lawrence, but in the end the ref brandished yellow to both him and MacLean.

The U’s were against the wind in the second half, which was 13 minutes old when MacLean found himself on a one-on-one with Lawrence, on a yellow card, but the defender made a well-timed tackle.

As the Gillingham fans started making plenty of noise, McDonald found space to hit a fierce drive, straight into Clarke’s midriff.

At the midway point of the half, Alfie Potter and Simon Hackney replaced MacLean and Craddock, and within a few minutes of his arrival, Hackney sent a cross-shot narrowly wide.

Lawrence got away with another foul, and a final warning from the ref.

And a minutes from the end, Akinfenwa had another half-chance but shot weakly, straight at Clarke.

Oxford Utd: Clarke, Purkiss, Worley, Wright, Tonkin, Hall (Heslop 88), McLaren, Clist, MacLean (Pottter 67), Constable, Craddock (Hackney 67). Subs not used: Sangare, Midson, Eastwood, Payne.

Att: 5,364 (624 from Oxford) Booked: MacLean.