OXFORD United maintained their unbeaten start in Sky Bet Championship under Gary Rowett after battling to a 1-1 draw at Plymouth Argyle.
Will Vaulks gave United the lead on the stroke of half-time with a sumptuous hit from outside the penalty box for his first goal in U’s colours, however a Rami Al Hajj header 20 minutes inside the second half pulled the league’s bottom side level.
Rowett kept just three players in the starting XI from the side which suffered the Emirates FA Cup third round defeat at Exeter City, with Sam Long, Greg Leigh and Matt Phillips those retaining their places.
Argyle started the first half the brighter, that to be expected following their 1-0 win at Premier League side Brentford in the FA Cup, and with new head coach Miron Muslic in the dugout for the first time since being appointed on Friday.
Jamie Cumming had to make an early save after left wing back Tymoteusz Puchacz crossed for Al Hajj, who hit a first-time effort close to the U’s goalkeeper.
Ruben Rodrigues was then shrugged off the ball, allowing a Pilgrims counter-attack which resulted in Al Hajj bending an effort narrowly wide from just outside the penalty area.
Morgan Whittaker scuffed a low 25-yard strike comfortably wide, while Julio Pleguezuelo picked out Al Hajj with a right wing cross, and the midfielder headed off target.
Puchacz hammered a strike from the left channel of the box well over the crossbar, as Argyle continued to probe for the breakthrough.
It took until just before the half-hour mark for United to get a sniff of goal, doing so when Leigh headed wide at the back post from Phillips’ inswinging corner.
Rowett was dealt an injury blow approaching half-time when Long was forced off, with Jordan Thorniley coming on in his place.
In the five or 10 minutes prior to that change though, the U’s had already reverted into a back five, with Phillips lining up as the right wing back, ensuring everyone else in the original four shuffled across.
Further forward, Przemyslaw Placheta and Rodrigues occupied the space behind Mark Harris.
And then on the cusp of half-time, Vaulks smashed United into the lead. The U’s won possession on the left-hand side, with Harris laying the ball off for Vaulks, who hammered in a first-time right-footed effort past Daniel Grimshaw from 25 yards.
Three minutes into the second period, Phillips sent in a right wing free kick which Thorniley headed wide, while Leigh was then just unable to get on the end of a teasing Ciaron Brown cross.
The Pilgrims levelled matters though less than 20 minutes into the second half, as Puchacz delivered a pinpoint cross which Al Hajj glanced beyond Cumming.
Rowett didn’t take long to then make a double switch, introducing Siriki Dembele and Dane Scarlett in place of Placheta and Harris respectively.
Another double change saw Hidde ter Avest and Alex Matos replace Phillips and Rodrigues with 13 minutes left on the clock.
The closing stages were scrappy and light of goalmouth action, although the game became stretched in additional time.
Two minutes into the five added on, Dembele worked himself space and tested Grimshaw with a strike just inside the box, and then tested the goalkeeper again with a sweetly struck volley from 25 yards, but again Grimshaw was equal to it, fisting the ball away.
Brown then headed away a late corner to ensure it finished level at Home Park.
Plymouth Argyle (3-4-2-1): Grimshaw; Pleguezuelo, Palsson (Cissoko 85), Galloway; Mumba, Randell, Gyabi (Houghton 89), Puchacz (Ogbeta 89); Whittaker, Al Hajj (Obafemi 75); Baidoo.
Unused subs: Baker, Wright, Bundu, Sorinola, Roberts.
Booked: Gyabi.
Oxford United (4-2-3-1): Cumming; Kioso, Long (Thorniley 43), Brown, Leigh; Vaulks, Brannagan; Placheta (Dembele 68), Rodrigues, Phillips; Harris (Scarlett 68).
Unused subs: Ingram, McEachran, El Mizouni, Sibley.
Booked: Brown.
Referee: Sam Allison (Wiltshire)
Attendance: 15,933 (665 away)