Oxford boss Chris Wilder has lost five first team players and was forced to name four youth prospects on the bench as the injuries threaten their good start to the campaign.
But Constable still should have had two goals in the first half.
In the sixth minute Constable took advantage when defenders Adedeji Oshilaja and Robbie Willmott collided, but the striker got the ball caught under his feet and could only manage a tame shot at keeper Lenny Pidgeley.
And the Oxford skipper came close in the 32nd minute when he poked David Hunt's free kick from the right flank inches wide of the far post from six yards.
Central defender Michael Raynes also fluffed a chance when he prodded another Hunt free kick narrowly wide.
Midfielder Christian Jolley came close to stealing the points for Newport with five minutes left, but the volleyed strike from the left angle of the box flew off the top of the bar.
County's best chance in the first period came one minute before the break when Willmott sent a 25 yard free kick high over the bar.
County manager Justin Edinburgh was delighted with a point and said:
"It wasn't a vintage effort in terms of possession, but we worked well off the ball. The players deserve a lot of credit. We weathered the early storm and then grew into the game."
Newport have not conceded for eight hours and fifty-one minutes and Edinburgh continued:
"To come to the league leaders and not look like conceding was very good. We just lacked that cutting edge.
"That's a fifth draw and I don't think we've been holding on in any of those games."
Oxford boss Chris Wilder was disappointed not to have taken all three points and said:
"You need to score when the chances appear and we had them. Maybe if we'd scored one of the early ones the game would have opened up. It was a tough night for our front men, we just couldn't get any momentum going."
"It was a stop-start game. The ref must be tired tonight with the amount of puff he put through that whistle. I think the referee has a big part to play in managing a game for the players and the supporters and I didn't think he did that very well."
My piece from the morning paper
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