Oxford United are likely to have a massive following at Kettering on Saturday – if the game goes ahead.

Kettering's Rockingham Road ground had a thick blanket of snow on it yesterday, putting the match in serious doubt.

But at this time of year, when temperatures can rise rapidly during the day, the snow can melt fast and disappear in hours.

If the fixture is on, there could be 1200-plus U's supporters making the short trip to Northamptonshire with Chris Wilder's team in such great form.

Oxford have been allocated 915 terracing tickets and 319 seats, and these might easily have sold out earlier in the week had there not been such uncertainty with the weather.

Because of their runs in cup competitions, the Poppies, as Kettering are known, have played only 24 games in the Blue Square Premier, which is seven fewer than Oxford.

They are in a slight dip in form.

Having played well in the FA Cup David v Goliath clash with Fulham, they then lost to Stevenage the following Tuesday, and last Saturday gave what the local paper described as their "worst performance under Mark Cooper" in crashing at home to AFC Telford in the FA Trophy.

They have only played eight league games since they went top of the Conference in October, and club officials are praying tomorrow's game isn't postponed because, with 22 games still to go, they already have considerable fixture congestion.

United boss Wilder watched the Kettering v Telford tie, but says he wasn't fooled.

"With us not playing, I had a 'Soccer Saturday', watching the lunchtime kick-off game at Kettering and then shooting off to see Stevenage v Burton.

"I know Mark Cooper really well and I said to him afterwards, it was a false result.

“Following the game againstFulham, they always knew there would be a reaction, and it came in a big way.

“So the game was not a true reflection of how they normally play and a week's rest will have done them wonders.

"They've got some good players and it will be another testing game for us."

When Kettering, drew 1-1 with Oxford United at the Kassam Stadium on September 6, they were very impressive.

The two centre backs – Guy Branston and especially man mountain Exodus Geoghoug-han – were colossal, but they were also an excellent unit, and played some good football going forward.

Wilder said: "I know Guy personally and Exodus has attracted quite a bit of attention. They're very strong."

And on paper, this appears to be just as tough an away game as those recently at Crawley and Cambridge.

"They're all like that now," said United's manager.

"We did really well to get four points from those last two away games.

“When I looked at last Sunday's game, I thought they're possibly the hardest ones because everyone's expecting you to win.

"The other games, against the Torquays, Stevenages and Wrexhams, which we've got coming up later, they take care of themselves.

"Taking everything into consideration (being without James Constable, conceding an early goal and then giving away a penalty early in the second half) it was a great result.

"As I said afterwards, it gave us a little bit of a jolt.

"I've told the players, and for the new ones I've brought in it's no fault of theirs what happened earlier in the season.

But they all have to accept the position we're in, we can't afford to have off days!"

Constable returns from his one-game suspension and will be keen to add to his 15-goal tally for United.

In the home game against the Poppies, it was his replacement, Yemi Odubade, who got the U's goal, when coming on as a sub.

Gareth Seddon, who has struck 14 goals this campaign, was the one who grabbed Kettering's late equaliser.

He will lead the home attack, probably alongside Craig Westcarr, with ex-Nottingham Forest striker Jason Lee on the bench.

Cooper captured Luke Potter on transfer deadline day, signing the 19-year-old from Barnsley until the end of the season. He will come in at left back where regular Tommy Jaszczun is sidelined because of an Achilles injury.

Cooper was not far off landing the Oxford United job that went to Chris Wilder.

That in itself will provide extra spice to what, potentially, has all the makings of a terrific game.