Chris Wilder believes last night’s FA Carlsberg Trophy win over Woking will help his Oxford United players get back on track.

Matt Green’s first-half goal brought the U’s a 1-0 win to earn a third-round tie at another in-form Blue Square South side, Chelmsford City, on Saturday week.

The competition is proving something of a nightmare in terms of fixture congestion, with Oxford’s game against Cambridge United at the Kassam Stadium next Tuesday having to be postponed as Cambridge must replay their Trophy tie following a 2-2 draw against Eastbourne Borough last night.

But manager Wilder feels his players will only benefit from another outing – and a return to winning ways.

“You can see there’s a couple of players struggling with a bit of form, and they need to improve,” he said.

“It’s been a difficult three or four weeks for us and we’ve got to get back to where we were, though that’s going to take a few words from myself, and the staff.

“We’ve had a good chat in the dressing room regarding what our plans are, and our aims are, and the players know, but the result is the most important thing.

“It’s obvious we’re finding our feet.

“It just shows, with two or three players out of position, what it does to your team. Dannie Bulman had to play right back, because we’d lost Chapman and Batt, which was self-inflicted, we understand that.

“But we need to get ourselves back going again, and maybe a win will do it, maybe a decent away performance at Grays will do it, but we’re all striving for the same thing.

“I’ve always said, it’s easy to play when everyone’s flying, and the sun’s shining, and everything’s going well. But now it’s a test of character for everyone in the dressing room.

“But I’m talking in these terms and we’ve won a game of football! I’m looking at the performance really, and it wasn’t great.

“But it’s a win, and I don’t think you can ever be embarrassed about winning football matches.”

Matt Green suffered a dead leg, which led to him coming off, but he should be fit for Saturday’s league visit to Grays Athletic.

Meanwhile, Grays are in talks with former U’s striker Jamie Guy after his contract with Colchester United was cancelled by mutual consent.