SIMON Eastwood was thrilled to see Curtis Nelson make a vital block which ensured the goalkeeper’s fantastic save did not go to waste.

Oxford United had to weather some intense pressure from hosts Bristol Rovers in the second half.

It took some excellent defending to scrap to a goalless draw.

The closest Rovers came was in the 63rd minute, when Eastwood magnificently diverted Tom Nichols’s

close-range header on to the crossbar with his leg.

But the ball bounced loose and only an excellent block from Nelson prevented Stuart Sinclair from turning in the rebound.

Eastwood said: “I don’t think he (Nichols) could believe it, he thought it was in.

“I think he said ‘how did you save that?’ It was a decent save, but it needed clearing by Nelson.

“As a keeper when you make a good save you really hope it gets cleared because if the rebound goes in it counts for nothing.”

Having returned to league action after a two-month

lay-off last weekend in a routine 2-0 win against Plymouth, Eastwood was pleased to make a big contribution against Rovers.

“The Plymouth game was ideal to ease me back in and this was a good game, a lot busier,” he said.

“It’s a game of two halves – we were good in the first half and they were good in the second half.

“When you come to places like this it’s not a bad result to get a draw.”