Middlesbrough edged a small step closer to promotion despite being held to a 0-0 draw with relegation-threatened Oxford at the Riverside Stadium.

Despite boasting almost 75 per cent of the possession, Boro struggled to break down a resilient Oxford side doing everything they could to earn a point in the battle to stay up.

And while the visitors were successful in doing that, and will take great pride from their performance, it was also a point that has boosted Middlesbrough's chances of playing in the Premier League next season.

Defeats for Millwall and Ipswich mean that Kim Hellberg's second-placed side, who are three points behind leaders Coventry, have increased the gap to the play-off zone to six points.

Oxford, arriving at the Riverside with one win from their previous nine league games, could easily have been ahead at the break.

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The Us had the better of the first-half chances and hit the woodwork twice.

The first of those was when Stanley Mills picked up a loose ball deep inside the Middlesbrough half before unleashing a thunderous 22-yard drive that bounced off the crossbar.

It took until the closing stages of the opening period for Middlesbrough to seriously threaten.

Striker David Strelec was first to hit the target when Jamie Cumming parried away, and seconds later Matt Targett's effort was well held by the Oxford goalkeeper.

Even though Middlesbrough started to look more dangerous, Oxford could easily have nicked the opener with almost the last kick of the half.

After Mills' knockdown from a deep cross, Myles Peart-Harris reacted quickest to turn goalwards only for his effort to hit the foot of the post and bounce to safety.

Middlesbrough were much brighter after the restart and created a couple of half chances early on, and tested Cumming with Tommy Conway's deflected effort into his arms.

Hayden Hackney curled a free-kick over the bar from distance soon after, before Oxford manager Matt Bloomfield made four changes in one go to try to change the flow.

Hackney also wasted a fantastic position soon after when he was thwarted as he shaped to shoot after Morgan Whittaker had played him in.

Conway had the best chance of the game seconds later when he turned Strelec's pass goalwards and Cumming somehow saved with his outstretched leg.

With 13 minutes remaining defender Christ Makosso almost put Whittaker's searching pass into his own net with Cumming out of his goal, but Oxford survived.

After that Middlesbrough were camped in the Oxford half but, despite plenty of balls into the box, Cumming did not have too much work to do and the defenders stood tall to keep the home side at bay.

The managers

Middlesbrough's Kim Hellberg:

"Everyone needs a lift. The performance was good enough to win, we always want to win so it is frustrating when we don't.

"But we have to remember this group has taken 19 points from the last 24 and we showed again today we are a good team. There is still a lot of positive energy in the group.

"To not score from all those chances I am a bit frustrated, but the lads did everything they could, the stadium did everything it could. At the end of the day we should have scored a goal, they could have scored in the first half.

"Oxford defended a lot and played to their strengths, tried to take points from us and credit to the opposition for that. Having those chances, 25 or 26 of them, the frustration was more for us than anything else.

"The first half was not as good. The second half was as good as it could be against a low block to create those chances. You just have to score."

Oxford's Matt Bloomfield:

"It is a really proud point. We were up against elite opposition. Middlesbrough, we watched at Coventry on Monday, and we knew we would be in for a tough afternoon if we weren't on it and astute.

"Obviously we had to soak up pressure in the second half. The manager here has done a terrific job, they are so cohesive in possession.

"We have to understand our strengths if we go toe to toe with them, and their cohesiveness. We knew we had to have our game plan and the lads stuck to that and executed it.

"We have belief that is growing, if you said to me at the start of the day against top opposition that we'd hit the bar, the post and get a point then I'd be happy."

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