OXFORD United's problems from the penalty spot again cost them valuable points as Morecambe clung on for a goalless draw.

Kemar Roofe became the third U's player this season to fail from 12 yards, seeing his weak 67th-minute spot kick saved.

It was the hosts' best chance to break the deadlock, but they can reflect on other chances which went begging.

Morecambe were stretched at times and goalkeeper Barry Roche made several decent saves, but United will know the lack of a killer touch saw them drop two precious points.

Head coach Michael Appleton named the same United XI which had impressed in the first half against Portsmouth a week earlier.

They immediately saw plenty of the ball, as Morecambe pulled everyone bar lone striker Kevin Ellison back when the hosts were in possession.

It was a game plan which worked a treat for the visitors in a low-key opening to the game.

There were 20 minutes on the clock before any hint of an opening, when a quick break opened Morecambe up.

Roofe's flick sent Callum O'Dowda flying down the left, but when he crossed to Danny Hylton, the forward's shot was blocked by Adam Dugdale.

Morecambe had scored an average of two goals per game in Sky Bet League Two going into the fixture and served notice of their threat when Ellison flicked a header which hit the crossbar on 28 minutes.

United only caused problems when they moved the ball quickly, which they did in a strong finish to the half.

The promising spell began when Roche turned a low shot from Kemar Roofe round the post.

The forward was also the catalyst for the next chance, when he won the ball on the halfway line with a slide tackle.

He brought the ball all the way into the box and it eventually found its way to Hylton, whose shot was parried by Roche.

In stoppage time, United had a strong appeal for a penalty when Ellison appeared to handle the ball after a Morecambe defender skewed his clearance at a corner.

Referee Tim Robinson only awarded another corner, from which Johnny Mullins headed off target.

The home side turned up the pressure after the break.

Dugdale almost broke the deadlock when he sliced an O'Dowda cross past Roche, with the centre back mightily relieved to see the ball land on the roof of the net.

United took the resulting corner short and Roofe let fly with an effort which Roche blocked with his legs.

Morecambe had a brief foray forward, winning a corner from which Mullins launched a counter-attack.

He found Roofe, who eased one defender out of the way and ran past Shaun Beeley, who brought him down in the box.

The referee awarded a penalty and after a discussion with his assistant he only produced a yellow card.

Roofe had a long time to think about his spot kick, but could only hit it tamely down the middle for Roche to block.

The miss knocked United's confidence and they were unable to put Morecambe under the same degree of pressure again until stoppage time.

Patrick Hoban and Ryan Taylor were brought on, but neither could make an impact and despite a final push in five additional minutes, no-one could find a way through.

Oxford Utd: Slocombe, Baldock, Mullins, Wright, Skarz, Rose (Taylor 81), Sercombe, Lundstram, O'Dowda, Hylton (Hoban 67), Roofe.

Unused subs: Buchel, Dunkley, Ruffels, MacDonald, Roberts.

Morecambe: Roche, Beeley, Edwards, Dugdale, Wilson (McGowan 45), Goodall, Fleming, Barkhuizen (Devitt 77), Wildig, Molyneux (Mullin 62), Ellison.

Unused subs: O'Hara, Kenyon, Miller, Parrish.

Referee: Tim Robinson (West Sussex).

Attendance: 5,273 (89 visitors).