KEY defender Phil Gilchrist is battling to be fit for tomorrow's win-or-bust Division 1 game at Valley Parade.

Gilchrist travelled with the Oxford United squad who headed north yesterday, 24 hours earlier than normal, to prepare for the battle with second-placed Bradford which will seal their fate.

Only a victory will be good enough for Malcolm Shotton's team, who need to win their last two games, and also hope other results go their way, to avoid relegation.

Bradford will virtually clinch promotion if they beat Oxford and rivals Ipswich lose at Birmingham. Knowing what's at stake, City boss Paul Jewell is thinking over bringing back 21-goal Dean Windass to play up front against his old team.

Gilchrist hobbled off after just 19 minutes against Norwich at the Manor last Saturday after feeling his hamstring tighten up.

He has not trained this week but Shotton said: "We're giving him as long as possible to recover.

"We're travelling early, partly to avoid the traffic, and I've got training facilities I know sorted out and we'll just have to see how he responds."

Gilchrist said: "It's responded to treatment but whether I'll be able to play I don't know. If we had been safe, I probably wouldn't have played last week but circumstances dictated otherwise." A further injury worry hangs over winger Joey Beauchamp who has missed training because of a bad back, but he also travelled.

Shotton must weigh up which partnership to go with up front and after getting off the mark at last, and looking quite sharp when he came on against Norwich, Kevin Francis might return to the starting line-up alongside Simon Weatherstone.

Jewell has picked his teams specifically with the opponents in mind and after the success of recalling Gordon Watson against Sheffield United and Huddersfield, he is expected to choose Windass in preference to Robbie Blake alongside 24-goal Lee Mills.

Windass has already claimed this week that he will still be able to look his former teammates in the eye if he scores the goal that sends his old club down. "It's dog eat dog," he said.

His former striking partner Francis said: "Maybe in hindsight we should have held on to Deano until the end of the season and made him stick to his contract. But that's in hindsight." Bradford play an attacking 4-2-4 with the skilful Peter Beagrie and Lee Sharpe hugging the touchlines and Mills a highly effective centre forward to profit from their crosses.

Such is the strength of their squad that centre back Darren Moore, named in the PFA'S Division 1 Select last Sunday, can't even get a place in defence. He is kept out by Ashley Westwood.

UNITED fans are reminded that they have until 5pm this evening to buy a ticket for tomorrow's match at Valley Parade.

With Bradford having sold out of their tickets, Oxford are selling tickets only to members, season ticket holders and supporters who have purchased tickets for previous matches this season.

Story date: Friday 30 April

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.