OXFORD United have decided the former Celtic, Portsmouth and Manchester City striker Gerry Creaney is not the man to solve their goalscoring problems.

The 28-year-old Scot, who has been training with United and played for the reserves in their 1-0 defeat at Cambridge this week, will not be offered a professional contract by manager Malcolm Shotton.

It ends any hopes Creaney had of playing against his old club Pompey in tomorrow's Division 1 game at the Manor Ground (1.00) which is being shown live on Sky Sports 2.

Although he has trained with West Brom pre-season, Creaney looked overweight and is still a long way off the fitness needed for Nationwide League football.

"I reckon he's still six months away from being match-fit," Shotton said.

United's manager is casting his eye over a player in London today as he continues his search for a goalscorer.

"We've got to keep looking, even if there are players who we can't get at the moment because we don't have any money," he said.

Shotton's exact line-up to face Portsmouth will not be known until after today's training session but he is expected to stick with Matt Murphy and Nicky Banger in attack.

He said: "It's clear the players are a little bit nervous in front of goal. They're frightened of missing chances because they're at a premium. "They normally have a practice game against the youth team the day before - and don't have problems scoring goals then! - but we'll do it differently today because the youths have their own league game."

Centre back Phil Whelan, who continues in place of the sidelined Steve Davis, was praised for the way he has come back following a broken leg.

"He's been playing quite well. It's not easy for a left-footer playing on the right side of the two centre backs, I should know because I've done it, but he's adjusted well and we haven't missed Steve as much as I thouhgt we would."

For Shotton, it's another match against a former club. He left Oxford to join Pompey in 1988 when their manager at the time was Alan Ball, who is now back in charge.

Portsmouth are unbeaten in six league and cup games. The only time they've struggled was at home to Ipswich when they hung on luckily to a 0-0 draw.

Pompey have an Andy Thomson too, but he's out after injuring himself in a game of head tennis. Andy Awford hopes to come through a late fitness test and, if he does, he could take over from ex-AEK Athens stopper Vlachos in the visitors' defence.

Joey Beauchamp is the only Oxford survivor from the team which drew 5-5 with Portsmouth in an amazing game at the Manor back in November 1992.

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