MANAGER Chris Wilder is confident that Oxford United can do what few Conference clubs have managed before – and succeed on two fronts.

The U’s are chasing promotion to the Football League and are through to the quarter-finals of the FA Carlsberg Trophy.

United have been handed a home tie against Kidderminster Harriers – who are ironically their next league opponents on Saturday at the Kassam Stadium – giving James Constable, Mark Creighton and Ryan Clarke the chance to put one over their former side.

The history books show how hard it is to battle on two fronts at this level of football.

Only twice in the past 23 years, since the 1986-7 season when the Conference winners were first guaranteed automatic promotion, has a club managed to achieve the double of winning promotion and lifting the FA Trophy.

And it has not happened since the 1992-3 season, when Martin O’Neill led a Wycombe Wanderers side to the title and a 4-1 win over Runcorn in the FA Trophy final at Wembley.

The only other occasion the double has been achieved was the previous year, 1991-2, when Colchester United won promotion and defeated Witton Albion 3-1 at Wembley.

But Wilder believes Oxford’s squad is strong enough to mount a twin assault on league and cup – though it may mean a fair amount of juggling.

He said: “All of the top three clubs (Stevenage, Oxford and York) will always see the league as the main priority.

“But I’m never going to turn up to a football match, whatever the circumstances, and put out a side not to win the match.

“I think I’ve got 21 good players in our squad and I’m going to be using different players at different times, according to the situation.

“I’ve not really got a first team and a reserves, who train separately, like it possibly was when I arrived. I have strong players who can come in at any time and they’re going to be needed in the weeks ahead.

“I feel we can go on both fronts. The league’s the main thing, but we want to stay in the Trophy for as long as we can.”

* WINGER Alfie Potter should be fit for the Kidderminster game on Saturday after responding well to treatment on a twisted ankle. He hobbled off during the Trophy win at Chelmsford.

* UNITED have released youngsters Ian Sampson, currently on loan to Didcot Town, and Richard Groves.