OXFORD United manager Chris Wilder hopes Craig Nelthorpe will have lear-ned his lesson from his punishing red card.

The former Doncaster Rovers winger, who was sent off in United’s 2-0 defeat by Torquay United on February 28, has had to sit out the last three matches because of suspension.

But now he available again for tomorrow night’s crunch Blue Square Premier game away to fellow promotion chasers Kettering.

And although it would be wrong to lay the blame for the Torquay defeat at Nelthorpe’s feet, the 21-year-old needs to watch his step because he might easily have got his marching orders in the previous home game.

Wilder said: “He’s got to learn from this. I know he’s a fiery character and I don’t want to take that out of his game, because I want him to compete, and I think when he’s at it, he’s a decent player.

“But we’ve missed him. We’ve not got the strongest of squads, so when we do have players missing it does take a chunk out of us, and he’d been involved in the games that we’d won, so it limits our options considerably.

“The proof’s in the pudding, between now and the end of the season, when he’s involved, he’s got to compete – but players have got to be disciplined.

“It’s one of these things I will sort out for next season, but I’ve not been too happy with certain aspects of the dissent shown by a few of my players.

“I do understand it, because I’ve played, and some of the decisions that some of the referees have made, it’s hard not to get upset about.

“And I do believe that we have been harshly treated at times. People talk about some of the big decisions favouring the bigger clubs – well, I’ve not seen that yet.

“We just want a level playing field. We haven’t had that, especially over the last couple of months.

“But we can’t use it as an excuse, Craig can’t either, and if there’s any doubt, he’s got to make sure he competes in the right way.

“Hopefully he’ll learn from being sat in the stand for the last three weeks.”

United have had four red cards this season. Of the top ten teams in the Blue Square Premier, only Cambridge – with five – have had more.