CHRIS Wilder has rem-inded his Oxford United team, as they prepare to take on Burton at the Kassam Stadium tomorrow, that they cannot ease off for a moment.
It’s a rare Sunday game for the U’s, who did not want to clash with today’s Wales v England Euro 2012 qualifier.
Lying 11th in the table and four points off the play-off places with just eight games remaining, United know only three points will be good enough to maintain realistic hopes of making the top seven.
“We’ve got to play full tilt,” said the U’s boss.
“The players know the importance of it. We can’t afford an off result if we want to get in the play-offs, we understand that.
“We’ve not got enough points to leave it till the last two or three weeks of the season, and we’ve lost too many games at home, so we have to win really tomorrow.”
United’s players have benefitted from their first free week for a while, after such a busy schedule, to have some recovery time ahead of the final assault.
Their opponents, Burton, have had no such luxury because Paul Peschisolido’s team still have to fit in four more games than United.
Wilder, who watched the Brewers’ 2-0 defeat by Stevenage in midweek, said: “They’re miles better than their league position.
“But once you fall behind in games and you haven’t got points on the board, it affects you psychologically, it becomes a grind.”
United are expected to be unchanged but Burton, who have John McGrath suspended, are set to give a debut to on-loan leicester defender Tom Parkes.
TOMORROW’S LINE-UPS
Oxford Utd: (from) Clarke, Batt, Worley, Wright, Tonkin, Heslop, McLaren, Burge, MacLean, Constable, Craddock, Sangare, Hall, Potter, Hackney, Eastwood, Payne, Clist, Kinniburgh, Purkiss.
Burton Albion: (from) Legzdins, Corbett, Moore, James, Malone, Parkes, Bolder, Maghoma, Penn, Phillips, Winnall, Webster, Walker, Pearson, Poole, Whaley, Austin, Dyer.
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