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.
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.