Chris Wilder believes Tom Craddock’s arrival will give Oxford United just the lift they need as they bid for their first league win tomorrow.

The 23-year-old striker, who joined Oxford from Luton on transfer deadline day, has scored consistently throughout his career.

And that has been the main missing ingredient so far for the U’s, who have frequently played well yet not been rewarded for it.

“I think Craddock’s arrival raises the bar,” Wilder said.

“Players will automatically want to impress Tom and he will automatically want to impress them. I think it will give everyone a lift.

“One of the things I’ve noticed, whenever I’ve brought players in, is the fantastic reaction they get from the supporters.

“Tom’s coming in for the long term. We’re not expecting him to score a hat-trick in his first game – though we’d like him to – he’s got to have time.

“His first training session was on Thursday so he’ll have to have time to bed in.

“But his record suggests he’ll score goals and he’s been a natural goalscorer wherever he’s been, with Middlesbrough’s youth team and reserves and with Luton, when they were in the League or in the Conference.

“We do make chances, and we have to do better in that department.”

Wilder admitted he had also been close to bringing in another forward, Mike Grella from Leeds.

“It’s a position I’ve looked to improve for quite a while,” he said. “We have to have good competition and options at the top of the pitch.”

Oxford United have played More-cambe only twice before in league competition, once at home – a 0-0 draw in January 2007 which followed a 3-0 Oxford win at Christie Park four months earlier when Phil Gilchrist, Steve Basham and Andy Burgess got the goals.

The Shrimps have since moved to the £12 m Globe Arena, playing their first game in the 6,000-capacity stadium in the Carling Cup on August 10 when they recorded a superb 2-0 win over Championship side Coventry City.

Oxford and Morecambe have also met once in the FA Cup, at the Manor Ground, in 1999 when Mickey Lewis was caretaker boss. Ben Abbey (remember him?) pop-ped up with the late winner that afternoon to spare the League club’s (yes, Oxford) blushes.

Former Manchester United midfielder Sammy McIlroy has been in charge of Morecambe since 2005 and last season their progress was remarkable.

They were 23rd at the end of August, 21st in early November.

But a run of seven straight wins before Christmas, and then seven wins from the last nine matches, rocketed them up the table and they eventually finished fourth.

“They’re a team that got to the play-offs last year and are like us, in that they’re a team that’s not won in the league yet this season.

“So they will be desperate to get off the mark, just as we are,” Wilder said.

Just as Oxford’s mascot is Olly the Ox, it should be obvious what the Shrimps’ mascot is.

Surprisingly it’s a cat.

Its name is Christie the Cat, named after the stray that loitered around the club’s previous Christie Park ground.