OXFORD United goal machine Dean Windass was brought down to earth yesterday - when he was booted out of training with the first team and ordered to train with the kids.

The 29-year-old striker, renowned like Paul Gascoigne as as a player who enjoys a laugh and messes about on the training field, reportedly overstepped the mark.

He was ordered by boss Malcolm Shotton to practise with the club's youngsters under the guidance of youth team coach Mickey Lewis.

For Windass, who has scored six goals in the last five games and been the subject of continued transfer speculation, it appeared to be a way of showing he was getting too big for his boots.

Shotton confirmed Windass had been punished but said: "It's all part and parcel of professional football. The other lads will now take the mickey out of him and that's where it hurts more than anything."

United's manager reiterated that, despite claims suggesting otherwise, Windass would not be going to Nottingham Forest.

He said he had not spoken to Ron Atkinson, the Forest manager, since after the Chelsea game when Windass's name wasn't mentioned.

In any case, he said, if reports were correct, Forest were struggling for money and would need to sell before they could buy. Tomorrow, Windass will be bidding to equal Paul Moody's club record by scoring in six successive matches but to do so, he will have to find a way through the meanest defence in the Nationwide League. The Suffolk outfit have kept 19 clean sheets this season.

Shotton said: "Ipswich are the best footballing side in the division, yet in the game here we outplayed them in several spells. We'll go there with confidence and they'll be confident as well, so it has the makings of a good game."

Les Robinson returns after suspension and with Ipswich set to pack midfield, this appears one match where it makes real sense to play five at the back. So it's likely that Shotton will revert to three centre backs and ask wingbacks Christophe Remy and Paul Powell to push forward. Phil Gilchrist and Paul Tait are suspended, so Brian Wilsterman, recovered from a hamstring strain, and Mark Watson are set to line up as centre backs, with Robinson as the extra man. Matt Murphy looks likely to take over from Tait in midfield.

Ipswich striker James Scowcroft has been out for two months with a broken collarbone and as a result, their goals have dried up.

David Johnson, outstanding in Town's 5-2 win over Oxford last season, has failed to reproduce the form which made him such an outstanding prospect 12 months ago.

French defender Manuel Thetis will return to Ipswich's three-man central defence after serving a two-match ban for collecting his 11th booking of the season.

Story date: Friday 19 February

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