COVENTRY City failed to score at home for just the third time this season following a goalless draw against 10-man Oxford United.
Frank Lampard’s side failed to capitalise on Will Lankshear’s late dismissal as the relegation-threatened visitors frustrated the Sky Blues in a stalemate at the Coventry Building Society Arena.
And the result means Coventry lead the Championship table by one point although second-placed Middlesbrough have a game in hand.
The home side created the game’s first chance as Haji Wright saw his tame effort comfortably saved by Oxford goalkeeper Jamie Cumming.
And Matt Grimes then drove towards the penalty area before seeing his curling shot from 20-yards out travel inches past the post with Cumming at full stretch.
The Sky Blues remained in the ascendancy as Victor Torp placed a low effort wide from the edge of the box from Tatsuhiro Sakamoto’s lay-off.
Oxford’s only real chance of the first period came shortly before half time as Przemyslaw Placheta curled a shot narrowly wide from the right-hand side of the penalty area.
After the break, the visitors survived a scare when Michal Helik diverted Torp’s low ball in from the left towards his own goal only for the ball to strike Cumming and bounce to safety.
The home side continued to search for the opening goal as Cumming kept out Romain Esse’s first time effort before Wright sent the follow up into the side netting.
Oxford finished the game with 10-men after Tottenham Hotspur loanee Will Lankshear received a second yellow card on 77 minutes.
The substitute, only on the field for 20 minutes, needlessly barged into Joel Latibeaudiere when challenging for a high ball and duly picked up a second booking.
Coventry’s best chance of the game arrived soon after when Sakamoto played in Wright only for the latter to again find the side netting from the left side the box 10-yards from goal.
