Oxford United boss Chris Wilder admits “the race is on” as the U’s get the chance today to back to the top of the table.

New Blue Square Premier leaders Stevenage’s game at Wrexham was called off yesterday because the Racecourse Ground was frozen and flooded.

However, Oxford are confident their game against Tamworth at the Kassam Stadium will go ahead, following the thaw, and no pitch inspections are planned.

For the U’s, who trail Borough by one point after leading the table for more than four months, it’s their first fixture of 2010, and the interruption caused by four postponements in their last five fixtures means it feels almost like they are starting a completely new season.

Wilder said: “As always, you put yourself in a position up to Christmas for the race that follows – and now the race is on.

“It goes so quickly in the second half of the season.

“We’ve got as good a chance as everybody else and it’s not a case that we’ve faltered at all, we’ve been consistently good all the way through, but others have been good as well.”

Third-placed York City are by no means out of the race for the title, and automatic promotion.

The Minstermen are 11 points behind Stevenage, but have three games in hand.

Intriguingly, they visit Stevenage on the final day of the season.

Wilder has a virtually fully fit squad, with Jamie Cook and Damian Batt the only doubts.

“Cooky has a slight problem with his ankle after he went over it at Milton Keynes last week, so we’re having a little look at him,” Wilder said.

“But Damian has progressed really well. It’s touch and go whether he’ll be involved, but everybody else is fit.”

Anthony Tonkin and Jake Wright could come in for their debuts, while the third new signing, midfielder Lee Fowler, may be among the subs.

United skipper Adam Murray, who missed the Barrow FA Cup replay in December because of illness, has hardly played for seven weeks.

He said: “I’m gagging to get back. My last game was in the Trophy, but I think most of the lads just want to play again.

“I’m as fresh as a daisy to be honest, and probably as fit as I have been for a long time, because we’ve been working even harder than we normally do.

“But it’s not just physically fitter, I think I feel mentally fresher after the break.

“There might be a backlog of fixtures, but most of the lads prefer it when it’s games Saturdays and Tuesdays because the training’s toned down a bit and players prefer games to training.”

Oxford Utd: (from) Clarke, Batt, Creighton, Wright, Tonkin, Bulman, Murray, Clist, M Green, Constable, Midson, Turley, Chapman, Potter, Day, Sandwith, Fowler, Deering.

Tamworth: Alcock, Tait, Langdon, Briscoe, Wylde, Rodman, MacKenzie, Pritchard, Sheridan, Shaw, Christie, Blackwood, Lyttle, Brown, Lake-Gaskin, Ulker, Russell.