Sheridan: Pitch spoiled the game

John Sheridan felt Plymouth were scuppered by the Kassam Stadium pitch as they were held to a 0-0 draw by Oxford United.

The stadium is also used by London Welsh rugby, and large areas of the playing surface have become a muddy mess, and very bobbly. And that played a big part in Oxford striker Patrick Hoban missing a gilt-edged chance from close range after only five minutes. The point keeps the Devon side in seventh place in League Two, after Stevenage conceded a very late equaliser at Cambridge. Sheridan was satisfied with his team, who might have won the match had Reuben Reid's header in first-half stoppage time crossed the line after hitting the underside of the bar and bouncing straight down - but he was not impressed with the conditions. "The pitch was shocking," Sheridan said. "I feel sorry for Oxford having to play on that every week. "We tried to play good football, but every time the ball bobbled at the last moment. "It didn't suit the way we were trying to play and it totally spoilt the game - it was a scrappy game. "We had a great chance with Reuben's header against the bar. It hit the bar, then hit the post and rolled along the goalline, and it was very unlucky that it didn't go in because Reuben has done everything right. "I think we defended well, and we didn't deserve to lose the game. I never felt we were in danger of losing it. "If Reuben's effort goes in, it's a totally different game." Oxford striker Hoban has now gone 10 games without finding the net. And after squandering the golden chance at the very start, he also blazed high over the bar with an inviting volley from eight yards. U's head coach Michael Appleton said: "It was always going to be a tight affair, especially after we missed those two early chances. "When Plymouth counter, they counter very quickly and we had to be wary of that. "It was always going to be settled in the end by a mistake or a moment of magic." But in the end, neither happened, to the disappointment of Oxford's biggest gate of the season - 8,057, which included nearly 1,300 from Plymouth. Irish striker Patrick Hoban was guilty of squandering two gilt-edged chances for the U's. But for his first miss he could blame the pitch as from Callum O'Dowda's cross the ball bobbled just as he shaped to shoot. However, Oxford's defence have been looking stronger by the week, and although the team could not follow up their shock win at Bury last week, they have now conceded just one goal in their last five games. Appleton said: "We've now kept four clean sheets in five games, which is really good. "If you can keep a clean sheet it always gives you a chance."