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Danny Hylton's second-half penalty earned winless Oxford United an away point against Southend United.

Hylton sent goalkeeper Daniel Bentley the wrong way after Luke Prosser was adjudged to have felled the striker.

Teenager Jack Payne scored his first league goal to give the hosts a deserved first-half lead, drilling a low shot into the corner.

Hylton was denied by Bentley's double save while Southend struggled to create anything clear cut after the equaliser.

Midfielder Payne, who had only ever appeared as a substitute for the Blues in the league, was given a place in the starting line-up by Phil Brown after he impressed with two goals in the midweek defeat to AFC Wimbledon in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy.

But his fine effort proved to be in vain as Hylton kept his composure to roll his penalty into the bottom left corner for his fourth league goal of the season, despite protests from the Southend players that he had gone down softly to win the spot kick.

The draw means Oxford have now failed to win any of their six games this season and sit second-bottom of the League Two table, while Southend remain mid-table.