OXFORD United are looking for some home help in their crunch relegation clash against bottom club Chesterfield tomorrow, writes Jon Murray.

With the U's heading for a worse home than away record for the first time in their history, the Manor Ground has been more like a house of horrors than the welcoming retreat of old.

But new boss Denis Smith is confident that can all change by getting the fans behind them.

"If you look at it, we've won only three at home in the league all season, which is incredible," he said. "For Oxford especially, that's very strange, because in the past, we've always relied on our home record."

After four successive Manor defeats, there appears to be a major psychological barrier for the players to overcome when they go out in front of their own supporters. But Smith believes that will end because of his new signings and the training he's been drilling into his players this week. "Playing at home isn't a problem for me, and Craig Russell and Nigel Jemson won't have a problem with it.

"Also, the backing the fans gave us at Wycombe last week was fantastic. They know what's going on and there's a positive mood and good amount of excitement around the place at the moment."

Centre half Phil Whelan admitted: "Our away form isn't too bad, it's just our home form which is terrible. With Chesterfield, Wrexham and Reading, we've got three big games coming up at home and we've got to start addressing that problem immediately."

Russell, on loan from Manchester City, will be making his home debut while Paul Lundin, Paul Powell and Joey Beauchamp, who were all nursing injuries at the start of the week, are back in training and look set to play.

Andre Arendse, back from the African Nations Cup, will probably be on the bench.

"Joey and Powell trained with John Clinkard yesterday and Lundin trained with me. Kevin Francis was also back, which was good to see," said Smith. "We've been working hard on patterns of play, did quite a bit on getting in crosses and finishing on tuesday and yesterday a bit more on the defensive side."

Smith is a great believer in drilling in patterns of play so that awareness of what their teammates are doing and where they are becomes almost automatic.

Chesterfield slipped to the bottom after Cambridge's 3-2 win at Notts County in midweek and have not scored in the last four games.

But they have completed the £80,000 signing of diminutive midfielder Ryan Williams from Tranmere, and their defensive record - only 35 goals conceded from 30 games - indicates they will be tough nuts to crack.

Story date: Friday 18 February

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