It would be nice to think that Oxford United could do to Tonbridge Angels what Southend did to them on Tuesday night.

The U's were so comprehensively outplayed that the final result was never in doubt, the only question being how many goals the home team would get.

In truth, the U's got away with it. The Shrimpers missed countless simple chances and it could easily have finished 6-0 or 7-0.

Southend were 56 places higher than Oxford in the football pyramid, and Tonbridge Angels, 19th in the Ryman Premier League, are 53 places below Darren Patterson's team (or 75 if the Blue Square North, as well as the South, is included).

After the 3-0 FA Cup second-round replay defeat at Roots Hall, United's manager was philosophical about the gulf between the teams.

Everyone present could see that Oxford are now just a Conference team. Delusions that they are a Football League outfit capable of bouncing straight back this season, having just missed out last, were emphatically banished.

"It certainly showed where we are," Patterson admitted. "Southend's quality shone through all night.

"I've just said in the dressing room that Saturday's game is now a good chance for us to show what we're about and hopefully we will."

No-one was really expecting the U's to beat the Shrimpers, who showed what a fine footballing side they are in chalking up their third straight home win.

What pained Patterson more was last Saturday's league defeat at bottom club Northwich where, in testing conditions, the players' attitude was disappointing.

"We got beat on Saturday and that hurt a hell of a lot more than this did, I've got to say," said Patterson, who knows he faces a mammoth job in turning the club around.

There are simply too many players at Oxford United who do not have either the quality, or the necessary drive and desire, to make them a promotion team.

At the moment, they look a million miles away from being able to reach the play-offs.

For that reason, the FA Trophy represents their best opportunity to chase some meaningful silverware this season.

Knocked out by Halifax Town in 2006-7, in a replay at The Shay, after struggling past Lewes in the first round, the U's know they will not be able to take Tonbridge for granted.

The Kent side have lost only one of their nine games since Tommy Warrilow took over as manager from Tony Dolby in the autumn.

Warrilow, a former Millwall and Plymouth Argyle defender, joined from Horsham, where he was assistant manager.

Almost immediately he had to do without club record goalscorer John Main, who was sold to AFC Wimbledon a month ago after hitting 68 goals in 91 appearances.

That was a blow because Main was Non-League Player of the Year last season.

He has also lost captain Scott Gooding, who joined Fisher Athletic, but Warrilow has nevertheless overseen an impressive run of results.

Angels rattled off five wins and a draw from their six games in November, which earned Warrilow the manager-of-the-month award, and last Saturday they became the first team this season to snatch a point at leaders Chelmsford City.

They even led 2-1 into the second half, but couldn't hang on and Chelmsford grabbed a late equaliser for a 2-2 draw.

Warrilow knew what a curse the manager-of-the-month award can be.

"I was delighted to win it in my first month in the job, but to be honest I would have preferred not to!"

His unbeaten run was then ended with a 2-1 defeat at Harrow Borough.

"From there things can only go downhill, so I suppose we were bound to slip up," he admitted.

"In the last few games we have taken a big step forward, but we were never naive enough to think it was all going to be plain sailing."