The U’s had just 30 per cent of the ball against a Clarets side which set its stall out from the beginning.

Scott Parker’s team dominated possession, but without truly carving out the killer opportunity to win the game. Both sides ended the clash with one shot on target each.

United head coach Buckingham said: “We’ve come up against what was a Premier League side less than six months ago.

“It’s a big jump, but what we’ve shown already in the seven games we’ve had now is if we stick true to what we try and do, we’ll put ourselves in the best position to try and get firstly a performance, and secondly a result.

“We knew today was going to be a very tough test at home, but I’ve just said to them in there, they can be very proud of how they’ve just worked to secure a point from this game.

“The last three home games have probably been a little bit more us with the ball, a few more chances, but we will need that other side to the game, which I’m extremely pleased with what I’ve just seen today, which will allow us more results as the season progresses.

“It was a controlled performance. I think they’ve had one shot on target throughout the whole game, as have we, so it’s a pretty balanced game in that respect.

“They had a lot of the ball, but I felt defensively, our structure was good. It was solid, and the players were clear on what they were doing and when to do it.

“Most people when we talk about our game style, think about what we do with the ball. If you’re not able to do the other side of it, you’re not going to put yourself in a position to get as many points as you can.

“We’ve got several ways now where we can set up. It’s taken time to get through into the players, and whether it’s we sit a little bit deeper at times or we go to a full press, or mix both up, what you can see is a real clear understanding from the players of what to do and when to do it.

“If you don’t get it right, these types of teams and the speed in which they play at, they carve you open.

“We’re getting tested at a level we never have been for, but the pleasing thing is we’ve been able to adapt to it enough to get us something from this game.”