United travel up to North Lincolnshire tonight to take on second-placed Scunthorpe United. Scunny will go top if they win, at least until Yeovil play at Boston tomorrow. Oxford have won their last two games, while Scunthorpe are unbeaten in three matches. If Oxford are to actually achieve anything approaching the miracle of the play-offs this season, then they need to get something out of this match, as well as the Easter Monday game against Orient.

United will be without Craig Davies, who is on international duty with Wales under-21s, while Jamie Brooks, Danny Brown, and Rob Wolleaston are all out injured. On the plus side Dave Woozley has gone on loan to Yeovil, Mateo Corbo is fit again, and future star Amine Karam has signed a one-month contract and has travelled with the squad, as has youth-teamer Billy Beechers.

Scunny have former United skipper Andy Crosby back in their squad after injury, and have also signed Richie Ryan from Sunderland, although he is unlikely to start. Today’s referee is Trevor Parkes, who took charge of United’s win over Mansfield at the start of the season, when things still looked vaguely promising for Graham Rix. Rage Online reckons that Scunny will prove too tough for the Us, and that Oxford will have their season well and truly ended, by 2-0 or thereabouts. Mind you, we’ve been wrong before, surprisingly.