A LACK of research paid off for Simon Eastwood as he relied on pure instinct to save Matt Taylor’s penalty at Sixfields.

It gave Oxford United the platform to go in search of a winner in the latter stages, but the killer touch deserted the visitors in a goalless draw with Northampton Town.

Eastwood’s opposite number, Adam Smith, tipped Joe Rothwell’s shot on to the crossbar and he also somehow blocked Kane Hemmings’s close-range effort.

The result saw the odds of Michael Appleton’s side forcing their way into the Sky Bet League One play-off picture lengthen again – they are now seven points adrift of sixth-placed Southend United, who won at AFC Wimbledon.

Eastwood’s penalty save did at least secure a first draw of 2017.

United pride themselves on their preparation, but after saving Aleksandar Mitrovic’s spot-kick in the FA Cup win over Newcastle United – which went the opposite direction to how backroom staff predicted – the keeper has relied on intuition alone.

“I said a couple of months ago with the Newcastle game I don’t really look too much into the penalties now, I just go with my instinct,” Eastwood said.

“We do more work on their free-kicks and corners.

“It’s up to myself where he’s going to go on the penalties. It’s a guess and you’ve just not got to go too early.

“If it’s a case where the penalty-taker has gone the same way three or four times and scored they would tell me, but if it’s different takers then I think you’ve got to leave it to yourself.

“I think the ball touched my forearm and it went on to the post. Luckily it bounced out and Phil (Edwards) was there on the rebound to clear it.”

A first clean sheet in eight games was very welcome, but Eastwood admitted United were frustrated they could not take a chance late on to claim victory to stay within five points of the top-six.

He said: “The position we’re in we wanted to win the game.

“I think we gave our all at the end and to be fair their keeper made a couple of good saves to keep them in the game.

“I think maybe overall you’d say a point is a fair result in the grand scheme of things with the penalty save and two chances at the other end.

“We need to be winning the games, but maybe if we win against Bury on Tuesday it might look a lot better.”