Ian Atkins is challenging his players to show the bottle that's needed to clinch automatic prom- otion.

A third straight away defeat, in Saturday's first Football League visit to Yeovil, has left the U's just three points ahead of fourth-placed Mansfield, who have a game in hand.

Only the top three are promoted automatically, with the next four going into the end-of-season play-offs . . . something which Oxford have never been involved in.

From now on, every Division 3 game they play will seem like a cup final, with extra tension and anxiety both on the pitch and among the supporters.

Atkins said: "It's coming to that stage of the season where there's a little bit of pressure and nerve, and you've got to have the bottle to play and to compete.

"We've all got about 15 or 16 games to play and you're going to get tension.

"We'll now see the true mentality of the players: do you want to finish in the top three or do you want to finish in the play-offs? Show me what you've got and show the supporters what you've got.

"On Saturday they let down all those supporters who came all that way.

The sides who will be successful from now until the end of the season will be those that compete and earn the right to win, not just by playing football, but by picking up second balls, winning challenges and playing from there."

United had another superb following at Huish Park, with 1,396 fans making the journey to Somerset. They had also had 1,429 cheering them on at Hull and 1,320 at Orient.

After the 1-0 defeat at Yeovil, Atkins says he will give serious thought to whether some of his players just can't manage two hard games in quick succession.

"One thing I've got to look at is whether some people can play two games in three days. We've got another situation like this coming up when we play York and Huddersfield.

"If you get four out of ten outfield players who lack energy and just aren't sharp, then it's hard to get a performance."

However, United's manager was less critical of his players yesterday, after he had reviewed the video of the match.

"The front three could have held the ball up better, but in defence of Julian Alsop and Mark Rawle, it can be hard to move your legs in that second game after a long lay-off or injury.

"It affects you more in the second game than the first and it always happens to people who've had a long-term injury."

Steve Basham's hamstring injury is not serious.

"He fell and twisted his back, which affected his pelvis and hamstring," Atkins said.

"He shouldn't be a doubt for Saturday, but then it may be the right opportunity to look at Lee Steele anyway."