Oxford United earn late point at home to League One leaders Portsmouth

Tyler Goodrham nudged United in front just before half-time when he struck low into the bottom corner, however Colby Bishop struck on the goal line, before debutant Callum Lang put Pompey in front.

Henry though came off the bench and nodded in from close range, to steal a draw for the U’s.

Des Buckingham made two changes to the side which lost 3-1 at Bristol Rovers, with Marcus McGuane restored to the starting line-up, while Tyler Burey made his first U’s start after a bright substitute appearance against the Pirates.

Stephan Negru and Josh McEachran dropped to the bench, meaning a tweak in formation as United moved from their recent 3-4-3 set-up, to a 4-2-3-1 formation.

Burey showed flashes of inspiration in the opening stages of the first half, winning an early corner after outpacing his marker, before putting too much height on a cross, with Mark Harris unable to get his head on the end of it.

The visitors threatened for the first time, when Connor Ogilvie’s strike deflected off Cameron Brannagan, and dropped dangerously close to United’s goal, however Jamie Cumming was able to claim the ball.

Marlon Pack then arrowed a strike well over the U’s crossbar, before Abu Kamara nodded wide from Terry Devlin’s cross from the right-hand side.

With two minutes to go until the break, United lost Fin Stevens to injury, with Oisin Smyth replacing him in a like-for-like switch at right back.

Just as seven minutes of injury time were signalled, Goodrham handed the U’s the lead with a lovely finish from outside the penalty area.

Receiving the ball from McGuane, 20-year-old Goodrham had options either side of him, but instead he struck a low effort from 20 yards, with the ball arrowing into Will Norris’ bottom left corner for his eighth goal of the season in all competitions.

Goodrham almost scored again during stoppage time, when he worked his way to the byline and forced a stop at his near post from Norris.

Cumming appeared to pick up some sort of knock late in the first half, with Ciaron Brown taking a couple of goal kicks, and at the break, the Chelsea loanee was replaced by Simon Eastwood.

United had the first sniff of goal in the second period, when Ruben Rodrigues teed up Harris, who arced a shot comfortably over the Portsmouth crossbar.

At the other end, Paddy Lane’s left wing cross was headed goalward by Kamara, but Eastwood was able to take the ball in.

Soon after, a dipping half-volley from Tom Lowery flashed over, as Pompey looked to make a fast start in the second half.

With just over 20 minutes to play, Buckingham made his third switch, introducing Gatlin O’Donkor for Burey. The move saw Harris drift out to the right, with O’Donkor playing through the middle.

Moments later though, Bishop scrambled in a Pompey equaliser after the U’s failed to clear their lines, with the striker poking home virtually on the goal line.

Buckingham found himself in referee Darren Drysdale’s book, shortly after United were denied a free kick on the edge of the penalty box, when Goodrham was knocked off the ball.

It went from bad to worse for Buckingham, with Lang wriggling his way inside the box, without a serious U’s challenge, before planting the ball past Eastwood.

With five minutes to go, the fourth switch for the U’s saw Henry replace McGuane in midfield.

Henry was involved straight away, when his whipped free kick from the left had to be pushed away from under his crossbar by Norris.

He then found the back of the net in the 90th minute though, pouncing after Harris’ left-footed strike was parried into the air by Norris, and nodding in from close range, to grab a late point for Buckingham’s side.

Oxford United (4-2-3-1): Cumming (Eastwood 46); Stevens (Smyth 43), Moore, Brown, Leigh; McGuane (Henry 85), Brannagan; Burey (O’Donkor 68), Rodrigues, Goodrham; Harris.

Unused subs: Negru, Thorniley, McEachran.

Booked: None.

Portsmouth (4-4-1-1): Norris; Devlin (Lang 62), Shaughnessy, Raggett, Ogilvie (Towler 86); Kamara, Pack, Morrell (Lowery 34), Lane; Peart-Harris; Bishop.

Unused subs: Macey, Saydee, Sparkes, Martin.

Booked: Bishop, Peart-Harris.

Referee: Darren Drysdale (Lincolnshire)

Attendance: 8,864 (1,485 visitors).