OXFORD United boss Darren Patterson has been handed a huge FA Cup boost from his old boss Paul Sturrock.

He asked Plymouth Argyle's new manager if he would give the U's permission to play loan striker Ashley Barnes in tomorrow's second-round tie against Southend.

Originally, the Coca-Cola Championship club didn't want Barnes cup-tied, but Sturrock phone Patterson back last night and gave him the green light.

Patterson said: "I made a call, congratulating Paul Sturrock, an ex-manager of mine at Dundee United, on getting the job at Plymouth.

"The problem when we took Ashley was that Plymouth had no manager and the secretary was mindful of not giving the new manager an already-cup-tied player. But I made a call, and Paul called me back to say it would be OK.

"He's a smashing bloke, a very, very good manager and I'm grateful to him because he didn't have to do it, and doesn't know a great deal about his squad of players at the moment.

"But it looks as if our old association at Dundee United has helped.

"Ashley made a big impact in his first game for us, with a proper centre forward's goal, from six yards, and maybe he might make another impact on Saturday."

Patterson now has four strikers to choose from with Yemi Odubade and Cardiff loanee Matt Green also joined by Gary Twigg after he came through the midweek practice game against Northampton.

"We've had a couple of games, we'll be organising another one for next week, just to give the boys games," Patterson said.

"Michael Corcoran came through as did Matty Day, Chrissy Willmott, Gary Twigg and Joel Ledgister so it was very positive. It gives me lots of options, which is great."

Two players to definitely miss out, though, are on-loan Darlington centre half Patrick Collins, who remains sidelined with a calf injury, and Carl Pettefer, who is suspended.

"Paddy missed the game at Kidderminster and is unfortunately still injured," he said.

Ex-Southend midfielder Pettefer says he is gutted to miss facing his old club after United's appeal against his red card at Kidderminster was rejected.

"I'm really disappointed because it was a game I was really looking forward to playing in," Pettefer said.

"What makes it even worse is the fact that it was never ever a red card either.

"It wasn't even a booking actually because I won the ball, but the referee had wrongly sent off one of their players earlier on in the game and I think he was just trying to even things up."

Pettefer, who made 84 appearances for the Shrimpers, winning successive promotions from League Two into the Championship, will now be watching from the stands.

But he is still relishing meeting up with his former teammates.

"I speak to Che Wilson all the time and I look out for their results every week," he said.

"It will be great to see people like Adam Barrett, Darryl Flahavan, Mark Gower and Kevin Maher again as well, but it's just a shame I'll just be talking to them and not playing."