Appleton happy with clean sheet

Michael Appleton admitted it would be hard to blame his top scorer Danny Hylton following Oxford's 0-0 draw with Stevenage.

All the best opportunities seemed to fall to the striker, but he just couldn't hit the target, and when one glorious opening fell his way late in the game, with the chance to pass square for Tyrone Barnett in front of goal, Hylton tried to go it alone, giving keeper Chris Day time to smother the ball. U's head coach Appleton said: "It was a game we absolutely dominated and when we got the ball, we passed and moved it very well and created numerous opportunities. "Probably the biggest culprit for us was Danny Hylton, but he's got seven goals for us this season, so I can't be too critical of him. "Overall it was a really pleasing performance and we kept a clean sheet, which was magnificent from us." It was Oxford's first clean sheet of the season, and Stevenage only threatened their goal near the end of the match. "Had we been more clinical in our finishing, I'm sure we would have come away with three points," Appleton said. "We needed to be a bit cuter in front of goal. Sometimes we were trying to be too clever by trying to beat one more player, instead of just putting a foot through it and having a shot at goal. "I'm sure if Danny were to find himself in that situation (near the end) again, he'd make a different decision. "But I can't complain about our performance as a team. "They never really looked like scoring a goal against us." The draw extended improving Oxford's recent run to four games without defeat, but they remain just a place above the bottom two. Oxford took the game to Stevenage from the off. Hylton had a close-range shot parried by Day early on, and he also went close with a thumping header from Tom Newey's cross which flew just past the left upright. Callum O'Dowda caused problems for the visitors with his pace and dribbling on the left wing, and the teenager saw his low shot deflect narrowly wide after he cut in from the left. Hylton sliced a volley into the side netting from 10 yards, and later fired wide from a good position at a corner. Stevenage showed more attacking intent after the break with Tom Pett shooting wide and fellow sub Dean Parrett forcing George Long into a save with a 20-yard drive. And Stevenage manager Graham Westley felt it was a useful point for his young team. "I watched a lot of very young and very inexperienced players grow up a lot today," Westley said. "I think they learned a lot, in a creative sense. "We were pretty solid, pretty strong and pretty determined. "We sat in and worked very hard defensively and tightened up when we went 4-4-2 in the second half. "We had to work very hard for that clean sheet. "We're seeing the growth of youngsters, and they will be all the better for it. I've had to throw them in because we have so many injuries, and many of them have been contact injuries, but the squad is developing and that's pleasing."