Exeter City picked up a well-earned point with a much-improved performance against Oxford United at St James's Park.
Graham Cummins got his first goal for the Grecians from the spot after four minutes, before Callum O'Dowda levelled matters 11 minutes later.
However, having only got one shot in target in their previous loss to Mansfield United last Saturday, City were much better against Oxford forcing the Yellows keeper George Long into a number of saves.
Paul Tisdale made one change to the side that started last week's defeat to Mansfield Town, bringing Matt Grimes in for Pat Baldwin who is out with a knee injury.
Captain Scot Bennett started up front alongside Cummins and Alex Nicholls, in an attack-minded 5-2-3 formation.
It paid dividends as City were in front inside five minute as Bennett won the ball back in Oxford's half and Cummins chipped a through ball for Nicholls. The on-loan striker took the ball around George Long, who brought him down and was lucky not to receive a red card for the foul. The resulting penalty was expertly dispatched by Cummins into the bottom right-hand corner of the net for his first goal for the Grecians.
However, Oxford were level inside 10 minutes as Danny Hylton raced down the right side of the pitch and delivered a swinging ball to the back post, which was side-footed home by Callum O'Dowda.
The Grecians were slightly the better side in the remainder of the first half, but both sides defending with a degree of nervousness that would you expect from two teams who went into the match without a win to their name.
City thought they had taken the lead again on 22 minutes but, when Moore-Taylor's free-kick into the area was headed on, Wheeler was deemed to have been in an offside position as he looped a header into the back of the net.
Matt Grimes then hit a speculative long-range effort that Long was forced to turn behind. From the resulting corner, Bennett had a close range header - that was saved by Long - and Sercombe's follow up effort was blocked on the edge of the six yard box. It was three shots on target in the space of a minute and three times the amount City had managed in last week's dire loss to Mansfield Town.
Oxford still looked threatening on the counter and Pym, who put in another excellent performance, had to be quick off his line to dive at the feet of Tyrone Barnett and Jordan Moore-Taylor as they tussled for a loose ball in the box.
Pym then produced an outstanding save to stop a Johnny Mullins from volleying the visitors into the lead as City failed to deal with a corner into their box.
City went up the other end immediately and won a corner of the own, but Nicholls placed his free header a foot over the crossbar. The half then ended with Cummins heading wide as Grimes floated another ball into the Oxford area.
A minute into the second half and City were on the front foot again as Sercombe curled a free-kick into the arms of Long.
Seven minutes later Alex Nichols flashed a right-foot shot inches wide of the post and then Cummins hit a low drive as City continued to dominate the early second-half proceedings.
Michael Appleton made a switch on the hour mark to try and change the flow of the game, bringing on Alex Jakubiak for David Hunt. However, the amount of time Oxford's right-back took to leave the field suggested that the Yellows were quite content with the 1-1 scoreline.
Tisdale made his first change of the match, with 20 minutes to go, as he brought on new loan signing David Noble who has returned to St James's Park for his second spell at the club.
His first meaningful action of the game was to lunge into a well-timed tackle in the middle of the park, which brought warm applause from the home supporters as they urged the City forward to try and find a winner.
Cummins, with a header, and Sercombe, with a close range shot, both warmed the gloves of Long, but City failed to make their dominance in possession tell in the closing stages and both sides had to settle for a share of the spoils. The point was enough to lift Oxford out of the relegation places, but City remain in the bottom two ahead of Tuesday's trip to Cambridge.
Exeter City (5-2-3): Pym, Wheeler, Ribeiro (Noble, 70), Oakley, Moore-Taylor, Woodman, Wheeler (Keohane, 76), Grimes (Davies, 79), Sercombe, Bennett, Nicholls, Cummins. Subs not used: Hamon, Butterfield, Keohane, Davies, Nichols, Tillson.
Oxford United (4-2-3-1): Long, Hunt (Jakubiak, 59), Mullins, Wright ©, Newey, Riley, O'Dowda (Brown, 87), Collins, Hylton, Ruffels, Barnett (Rose, 76). Subs not used: Crocombe, Raynes, Rose, Brown, Morris, Potter, Jakubiak.
Booked: Barnett (57).
Attendance: 3,076. Away: 434.
Referee: James Linington.
