Brazilian defender Santos Gaia tripped James Constable on 10 minutes denying the striker a clear goalscoring opportunity and there were no complaints from the home fans when he was eventually dismissed.

However, that decision seemed to galvanise the Terras and half-an-hour later they took the lead through Beavon much to the visitors’ surprise.

Unfortunately for the hosts it took the U’s just two minutes to respond with Matt Day letting fly with a screamer from 35 yards to level matters.

Many expected the visitors to build on that but on 52 minutes more excellent work from Beavon saw him net a stunning second and his third against Oxford this season.

United huffed and puffed in search for a point in the final stages and they eventually got the equaliser they were after when Joe Burnell’s driven ball across the box was parried by Danny Knowles on to the retreating Anton Robinson for an unfortunate own goal.

That may have mugged the Terras of a memorable victory but they still deserved huge plaudits for such a gutsy display, particularly Beavon who was outstanding.

Weymouth caretaker boss Alan Lewer made three changes to the starting XI that began Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at Ebbsfleet United with Gaia, Jordan Collins and Ryan Williams coming in for Cameron Mawer, Stephen Reed and Pierre Joseph-Dubois, who all dropped to the bench.

With Oxford now under the guidance of wily caretaker-manager Jim Smith, who guided them to a 3-1 win at Mansfield Town at the weekend, the Terras were expecting a tough evening and that is exactly what they got.

In fact the visitors nearly took the lead in the first minute when a run and cross from the left from Jamie Guy found Sam Deering in space inside the box but his shot fell wide when he really should have scored.

Weymouth were struggling to pick up the young midfielder who was taking up a position just in behind the forwards and five minutes later more good movement allowed him to curl an effort on target which Knowles did well to hold.

The Terras were not settling at all and in the 10th minute a fine flick on from Guy put Constable through. He outpaced Gaia who lunged in and took down the forward just three yards outside the box.

The Oxford fans behind the goal yelled for a red card and referee Richard Martin had no other choice but to oblige, sending the South American down the tunnel for an early bath.

Despite that setback the Terras battled hard but it was not until the 31st minute that they mustered their first opportunity with the tenacious Beavon shooting wide from 20 yards after a sharp turn.

Ryan Williams then stung the palms of United stopper Billy Turley, who did well to push the winger’s fizzing effort over the crossbar as the game began to liven up.

Oxford replied with a fierce shot from Guy that Knowles beat out with clenched fists before Beavon burst through the middle of the United defence and slid a shot past Turley to give the Terras a deserved lead on 40 minutes. However, back came Oxford immediately and after Eddie Hutchinson had been denied by a fine block from Knowles, Day let fly with a 35-yard blockbuster three minutes before the break that found the top right corner and gave the Terras’ stopper no chance.

The half ended with two opportunities for Robinson to regain the home side’s lead but Turley was equal to both with the second save coming from point-blank range after Collins’ superb driven cross.

Weymouth continued from where they had left off at the start of the second half but they suffered further misery when Collins took a heavy fall in the box in the 47th minute while trying to get on the end of a cross. The youngster was stretchered off and replaced by Cameron Mawer.

However, it was still the hosts who were looking the more threatening side and on 52 minutes Beavon robbed Adam Murray before cutting inside and unleashing a fine left-footed curler from 16 yards beyond Turley and into the far corner.

Beavon was on fire and on 68 minutes he sent a sublime outside of the right boot pass to Williams as the Terras counter-attacked down the left once more.

The diminutive winger bamboozled his marker before testing Turley who did well to rush off his line and divert the strike behind for a corner.

Oxford sent on Yemi Odubade in a bid to improve their attacking options but the Terras still looked the more likely side to score with Robinson having a shot hacked away from the feet of Turley at his near post with 11 minutes to go.

However for all Weymouth’s tenacity there was to be a late sting in the tale with Burnell’s cross-cum-shot on 83 minutes being parried out by Knowles only for the ball to ricochet off the unfortunate Robinson before crossing the line.

That set up a tense finale with the action swinging from end to end but neither side could find a winner.