Oxford United extended their unbeaten run to nine games in all competitions following a 1-1 draw at Accrington Stanley – but they were just a matter of minutes from returning home with all three points.

James Henry opened the scoring early in the second half but it was cancelled out by Ethan Hamilton’s thumping strike six minutes from time.

Karl Robinson made two changes from the side that won 4-1 against Exeter City in the FA Cup second round last weekend, with Simon Eastwood and Lewis Bate replacing Edward McGinty and Jodi Jones.

Josh Murphy returned to the bench for the U’s. Yanic Wildschut also travelled with the squad but was not among the substitutes.

The hosts started on the front foot, with Eastwood forced to rush out of his goal and clear the danger on a couple of occasions.

But it was Oxford who came agonisingly close to going ahead inside the opening 10 minutes when Bate’s curling effort hit the bar. Toby Savin in the Stanley goal was beaten.

Hamilton then fired a free kick into the wall before Seamus Conneely sent a wild effort over the bar from the rebound.

Elliott Moore also had a chance to open the scoring, but his header took a deflection and bounced just wide of the post after the hosts had failed to deal with a corner.

Doug Tharme’s long throws were identified as a potential danger before the game, but the Oxford backline deal with the threat effectively during the opening half hour.

However, they were nearly undone 10 minutes before the break when Shaun Whalley managed to get in behind on the right wing. Djavan Anderson did well to get back and make an important clearance, with Mitch Clark arriving at the far post.

Eastwood was also forced to tip an effort round the post after a scramble in the box as the hosts cranked up the pressure during the final moments of the first half.

After the break, Matty Taylor had a big opportunity to break the deadlock but failed to keep his strike down from 15 yards after getting on the end of Anderson’s low cross. Eastwood had started the move with a clever throw to pick out Bate.

Stanley wanted a penalty when Whalley went down in the box under Stuart Findlay’s challenge after a mazy run, but referee Samuel Barrott waved play on.

The U’s went in front moments later when Henry slotted home from close range after some good work by Marcus Browne on the left flank. It is the 33-year-old’s second goal in his last three matches, with the other coming in the 1-1 draw against Forest Green.

Both sides then turned to the bench, with Billy Bodin coming on for Oxford and Joe Pritchard getting the nod for the hosts.

Rosaire Longelo had a shot blocked by a defender after another scramble in the box as Stanley searched for an equaliser.

Former Norwich youngster Murphy also came off the bench for the final 15 minutes, making only his fifth appearance of the campaign due to injury.

Pritchard thought he had got his side back on level terms inside the final 10 minutes after combining with Whalley on the edge of the area, but Eastwood made a fine stop low to his right.

But there was nothing the goalkeeper could do minutes later when Hamilton rifled home from 30 yards.

Eastwood also had to make a decent stop to deny substitute Korede Adedoyin as Stanley pushed for a winner in the final stages.

The U’s also tried to make something happen at the other end but Ciaron Brown wasn’t able to get on the end of Taylor’s flick-on.

Oxford: Eastwood, Anderson, Moore, Findlay, Brown, Bate (Long 76), McGuane, Brannagan (Murphy 76), Henry (Bodin 66), Taylor, Browne

Unused subs: McGinty, Rodriguez, Goodrham, O’Donkor

Booked: Murphy

Stanley: Savin, Tharme, Astley (Adedoyin 76), Rodgers, Conneely (Pritchard 68), Coyle, Hamilton, Clark, Longelo (Perritt 86), Leigh, Whalley

Unused subs: Jensen, Nolan, Martin, Fernandes

Booked: Tharme, Astley, Leigh, Pritchard

Referee: Samuel Barrott

Attendance: 2,447 (340)