Middlesbrough missed the chance to close the gap on Championship leaders Coventry as they were held to a goalless draw by relegation-threatened Oxford United.

Despite finding themselves at opposite ends of the table, the visitors could have been in front at the break after they twice hit the frame of the goal.

Boro improved after the interval and created a host of chances, but could not find a breakthrough.

The result means Kim Hellberg's side now trail the Sky Blues by three points, with a six-point cushion over Millwall in third. Meanwhile, Oxford close the gap to the safety line to five points.

Boro, reeling from Monday's disappointing defeat at Coventry, made a slow start and were almost behind when Stanley Mills rattled the crossbar with a powerful effort from distance following a surging run.

The hosts were let off the hook again in first-half stoppage time when Myles Peart-Harris pounced on a knockdown inside the six-yard box, only to see his effort rebound off the post.

At the other end, Jamie Cumming made comfortable saves to deny David Strelec and Matt Targett in a lacklustre first 45 minutes for Hellberg's promotion-chasers.

Boro went through the gears and registered a glut of chances in a dominant second half.

Hayden Hackney, Tommy Conway and Morgan Whittaker all tried their luck, but were denied by a mixture of poor finishing and some good goalkeeping by Cumming.

The Oxford stopper made a point-blank save to deny Conway for a second time as the hosts piled on the pressure, but his heroics were almost undone by his own team-mate when Christ Makosso misjudged a header back towards his own goal which went just past the post.

Callum Brittain was the next player to be denied after several U's defenders put their bodies on the line to block his shot and earn their side a well-deserved point on the road.

Middlesbrough host another relegation-threatened side in Leicester City on Tuesday, while Oxford travel to Stoke.

Middlesbrough boss Kim Hellberg told BBC Radio Tees:

"We knew that was going to be the game. If we score early, it could open up a little bit. We didn't, they had some chances in the first half, they could have scored.

"We had some chances through the game, especially in the second half.

"At the end it's 0-0, there's no goal, you have to take the point and move on.

"This is the part when you play against these teams when they defend with their heart all the time.

"We should have scored, that's how it is, but we didn't. It's one point to add to the tally and we keep moving on."

Oxford United boss Matt Bloomfield told BBC Radio Oxford:

"I thought we were better today than at Coventry. It's similar, but different. I thought we were excellent first half, had the two best chances of the half.

"I'll be honest with you, at Coventry I was grateful for the point. Today, I was a bit disappointed that we haven't got ourselves ahead [by] one, maybe even two, in the game.

"I think Middlesbrough are as good as it gets in the league. They are brilliant, the way they move the ball, some of the players they have got are fantastic. They are going to have spells of chances and we had to maybe ride our luck at times.

"I'm actually thinking that was a different performance to Coventry because we imposed ourselves on the game today, especially in the first half.

"That's two good performances in a row and two good performances where we can go after more."