IF DARRYL Eales has his way for Oxford United, the prospect of trips to Wembley Stadium on a semi-regular basis will become a thing of the past.

That is not a doom-laden prophecy – far from it.

“We should savour these moments, because the long-term ambition for the club is to get promoted into the Championship, which makes a day like this less likely,” United’s chairman says.

The Checkatrade Trophy had its detractors even before the format underwent controversial surgery this season.

But the fact is a side competing in the top half of League One has two good chances each season to reach Wembley – the play-offs and the Trophy.

So in a scenario where the U’s fulfil Eales’s ambitions and win promotion to the second tier, the chances of an appearance rest on reaching the League or FA Cup final, or the play-off final to reach the Premier League.

You can judge for yourself which of those is the least improbable.

Ahead of last year’s final, the U’s owner predicted reaching Wembley would feel like all his Christmases had come at once.

So it proved, with Eales like an excited child unable to sleep ahead of the big day.

He said: “The bit I remember clearly last year was waking up at 5.30am, opening the curtains in my hotel room and in front of you was Wembley Stadium.

“I went for a walk and there was no-one around, until I bumped into (United director) Steve Dolton.

“Once you get past about 10am the day almost goes by without you taking a lot of it in.

“To be going to Wembley for two successive seasons, you can’t make that up.

“I think it epitomises the whole mentality of the club.

“It doesn’t matter what competition we’re in, we are going to give it our best shot – it’s probably why we’ve done well in all the cups.

“This achievement will probably look better in ten years’ time than it does now.”

Eales was hugely proud to see Michael Appleton’s side stride out on to the biggest stage in English football 12 months ago.

On that occasion, the blow of the 3-2 defeat to a strong Barnsley side was softened by automatic promotion from League Two five weeks later.

But this time, the U’s owner will take his seat in the Royal Box in a different frame of mind.

“I think last year we went in hope rather than expectation,” he said.

“This year we’re probably going to start as favourites and there’s a much greater expectation that this really is an opportunity for John Lundstram to hold the trophy aloft in front of Oxford fans.

“The play-offs from the Conference in 2010 are slightly different, so that hasn’t really happened since the Milk Cup in 1986.

“This might not happen again for 25 years.

“It’s a case of grab it while you can, celebrate it and have a fantastic day out.”