Michael Appleton’s focus will be on Oxford United’s opening fixtures when the Sky Bet League Two programme is announced today as he aims to avoid a repeat of last season’s costly slow start.

The U’s already know one of their competitive games, after being handed a trip to Brentford in yesterday’s Capital One Cup first round draw.

And at 9am they will know their league programme, which kicks off in just over seven weeks.

While they will receive details of all 46 games, Appleton will be drawn to the first batch.

“The first ten games are crucial, we found that out last year in a big way,” the U’s head coach said.

“After the first four games having played so well and not picked up a point, and after seven games having three points, (the aim is) just to get on the board as early as possible.

“If you get off to a good start it allows you to have a little bit of a dip in the season.

“Sometimes when you don’t get off to a good start you really can’t afford to have another bad spell and I think that’s what we paid for a little bit last year.”

For the moment, the one certainty is United’s second game of the season will be at Brentford, who finished fifth in the Championship before losing to Middlesbrough in the play-off semi-finals.

It is almost a decade since the U’s last visited Griffin Park, when they beat the Bees on penalties to win an LDV Vans Trophy tie.

The draw is one of the toughest Appleton’s men could have received, but after they beat Bristol City and took West Bromwich Albion to a shoot-out in last season’s competition, chief executive Mark Ashton welcomed the clash.

He said: “I think it’s really exciting, they were probably the best team in the Championship not to be promoted last season.

“Like last season at Bristol City and West Brom we’re playing higher-league opposition.

“We’ll start as the underdog, but I think as last season proved if we approach it right and apply ourselves correctly we can give anyone a game.”

CAPITAL ONE CUP 1ST ROUND DRAW

Carlisle v Chesterfield, Nottingham Forest v Walsall, Fleetwood v Hartlepool, Scunthorpe v Barnsley, Bolton v Burton, Accrington v Hull, Rochdale v Coventry, Oldham v Middlesbrough, Huddersfield v Notts Co, Blackburn v Shrewsbury, Morecambe v Sheffield Utd, Doncaster v Leeds, Wigan v Bury, Northampton v Blackpool, Sheffield Wed v Mansfield, Rotherham v Cambridge, Crewe v Preston, York v Bradford, Port Vale v Burnley, Peterborough v Crawley, Yeovil v QPR, Plymouth v Gillingham, Swindon v Exeter, Bristol Rov v Birmingham, Ipswich v Stevenage, Luton v Bristol C, Charlton v Dag & Red, Wolves v Newport, Brentford v Oxford Utd, Portsmouth v Derby, Southend v Brighton, MK Dons v Leyton Orient, Cardiff v Wimbledon, Millwall v Barnet, Wycombe v Fulham, Colchester United v Reading.

  • FOR full details of Oxford United’s Sky Bet League Two fixture list for the 2015-16 season, visit oxfordmail.co.uk/sport from 9am.