The second half of the season starts tomorrow, with a visit to Oxford from Crawley Town[@opponent]Crawley Town[/@opponent]. The match at Broadfield Stadium on Monday 18 September, in front of the Sky TV cameras, ended in a 1-0 win to United[@news]564[/@news], thanks to a late long-range special from Matt Day. Oxford will be keen to end their current poor run, which hasn't seen them win a game for over a month, or score a goal in their last three matches. This is also the last match of 2006, and so the team are sure to want to end the year on a high. Tomorrow's referee is the interestingly named M Mullarkey.

Jim Smith has another injury problem, with the news that Eddie Hutchinson is likely to be out for a few weeks after suffering ankle ligament damage in the Boxing Day match against Woking. With John Dempster hardly shining in the first half, Smith is likely to bring in Chris Hargreaves, although there is also a doubt over Carl Pettefer, which is more of a worry, especially considering that the side has another match, away to Exeter, just 46 hours later. Up front, Steve Basham failed to shine, and so Smith must decide whether to start with Yemi Odubade, and thereby give up the impact that the pacey front man has coming off the bench. At the back, Chris Willmott is still injured, and so Smith is likely to keep the same back five as started against Woking, although he may be tempted to bring in Gavin Johnson in place of Rufus Brevett, again bearing in mind the Exeter game. Another option is to put in Dempster, in place of Day, who struggled at times on Tuesday.

Crawley's position of fourth from bottom of the Conference is a misleading one, as the side suffered a ten-point deduction at the start of the season for entering into administration in the summer. Although their financial troubles are not yet behind them, and they are still owned by the execrable Majeed brothers, they seem to be on a more stable footing, and their survival, at least in the short term, seems more likely. Since United last played Crawley, the Sussex side has had a change of management, with John Hollins making way and the team now under the control of Ben Judge, John Yems, and former Oxford carthorse, Dave Woozley [@player]Woozley, David[/@player]. Crawley's captain at that time, Danny Brown[@player]Brown, Danny[/@player], has since moved on to Cambridge United. Crawley have lost their last two away games without scoring, and have a fairly poor record in front of goal, only having found the net 27 times this season. With United having problems of their own up front, Rage Online envisages this match ending 0-0. Well, after our last two efforts, we wouldn't want to predict another win.

United's nearest rivals, Dagenham & Redbridge, also have a home game, welcoming Halifax to East London, while third-placed Weymouth are at home to in-form Stevenage Borough. Fourth-placed York City are at home to Woking this evening, while Burton Albion, who are fifth, visit Cambridge United tomorrow. United's next opponents, Exeter City, who are ninth, travel to St Albans.