Low-scoring deadlock

ONEONE

Think of a soccer match where both teams manage just a single goal each, leaving the score perfectly balanced.

"Low-scoring deadlock" hints at a tied game where both sides scored just once—like a 1-1 draw in sports. The answer "ONEONE" literally spells out that score, written as two separate words instead of numbers. It’s a straightforward play on how we describe tied scores in conversation, turning the phrase into a compact crossword answer.