OXFORD United's out-of-form strikers had the goal in their sights yesterday with a special training session aimed at curing any inhibitions they feel when facing the net.

And manager Malcolm Shotton is hoping the session will get the players tuned up for the visit of Portsmouth to the Manor in the Sunday lunchtime televised Division 1 game.

It's 402 minutes since Oxford last found the net in the league and, as time moves on this week, it seems increasingly unlikely that Shotton will have a new striker to call on to fill in for the injured Kevin Francis.

He has taken former Celtic ace Gerry Creaney on trial, but says the 28-year-old is some way short of match fitness.

And his hopes of spying on another loan target on Wednesday night were dashed when the player was drafted into an international squad. But yesterday's shooting practice will hopefully have benefited the likes of Matt Murphy, Nicky Banger, Simon Weatherstone, Dean Windass, Andy Thomson and Joey Beauchamp. Shotton 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.

"We just need a goal. But I'm sure that once one goes in we can go on and get three or four."

United are still without Kevin Francis, Steve Davis and Christophe Remy. Frenchman Remy was in with a shout of playing against Grimsby last Saturday, only to tweak his hamstring in the pre-match training on the Friday. 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's now back there.

Ball said: "Shotton's a cracking lad, a super chap, really solid and did a super job for us in the time he was at Fratton Park and I wish him all the best in management."

Alan Ball's Portsmouth team are currently unbeaten in six league and cup games. The only time they've been turned over, by all accounts, was at home to Ipswich when they hung on luckily to a 0-0 draw.

Alan McLoughlin misses Sunday's game after being called into the Republic of Ireland squad for their European Championship qualifier against Croatia.

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