By Jon Murray THE challenge is on among Oxford United's players at Burnley today to see who will score the club's last goal of the millennium.

All the players in the Nationwide Football League have an opportunity to write themselves into the record books by featuring in the very last games of this millennium and the first game of the next, on January 3.

To mark this event, the Football League and sponsors Nationwide Building Society will be making a special presentation to the scorers of the last and first goals.

Ironically, the first league goal of the current millennium was an own goal scored by Aston Villa's Gershom Cox at 3.30 pm on the afternoon of September 8, 1888 in his club's first ever league match at Wolves.

And although it's unlikely that an Oxford United player will achieve the nationwide honour - because Colchester and Wycombe's game has been held over to December 29 - it will still be a much-coveted accolade to grab the club's last goal this century. Matt Murphy, who headed the winner in United's 1-0 Boxing Day victory over Cambridge, is currently leading the stakes.

Young striker Jamie Cook struggled to make much impact at the Manor on Sunday, so it would be no surprise were coach Mickey Lewis to bring back Steve Anthrobus to partner Derek Lilley up front.

Kevin Francis may not yet be ready for a full game after just two short substitute appearances.

Goalkeeper Paul Lundin and defender Mark Watson seem unlikely to have recovered in time from their bout of gastric flu and there are not expected to be many other changes in United's line-up.

Securing three points from the first game in their holiday programme has taken away some of the pressure on Oxford to go chasing a victory at Turf Moor.

Burnley also had two players missing with flu as they lost 4-2 at Bury on Sunday. Defender Mitchell Thomas was the worst affected and is rated doubtful, but ten-goal top scorer Andy Payton looks ready to return. Former Wolves midfielder Paul Cook will also come back after suspension.

Burnley's drubbing at Bury was their first defeat in nine games - bar an Auto Windscreens Shield tie where they lost on the golden goal rule - but it was largely down to the sending-off of defender Steve Davis who handled the ball to give Bury their second goal.

"The other Steve Davis", as he is known in Burnley, is United's centre back who makes his first return to his former club since he joined Oxford. The two Davises played together for a short while at Turf Moor.

Burnley had conceded only six goals all season away from home before Boxing Day and they have won nine of their last 11. A season's-best crowd of around 14,000 is predicted and several of Burnley's championship winning side of 1959-60 will parade on the pitch before kick-off.

Burnley: (from) Crighton, West, Armstrong, Mellon, Davis, Thomas, Little, Cook, Cooke, Payton, Mullin, Jepson, Johnrose, Branch, Brass, Weller, Cowan.

Oxford Utd: (from) Arendse, Folland, McGowan, Davis, Whelan, Robinson, Powell, Murphy, Beauchamp, Anthrobus, Lilley, Cook, Francis, Fear, R Weatherstone, S Weatherstone, Shepheard.

Story date: Tuesday 28 December

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