Oxford United will be aiming to maintain their position in League One's playoff spots with a positive result against Northampton Town on Saturday.
The visitors may have half an eye on finishing inside the top six themselves, having adapted to life back in the third tier remarkably quickly.
Match preview
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Oxford, on the other hand, have bounced back from a hugely disappointing campaign after finishing 19th last season. The Yellows had finished fourth and sixth in 2019-20 and 2020-21 respectively, before narrowly missing out on the playoffs when finishing eighth in 2022.
Despite losing their former manager Liam Manning to Bristol City in November, Des Buckingham has managed to keep Oxford inside the top six despite failing to win any of his first four league games in charge. Four victories from six games have since followed.
Indeed, successive wins on the road against Charlton Athletic and Carlisle United since the turn of the year moved Oxford up to fifth in the table. Mark Harris bagged three goals across those two fixtures, with Oisin Smyth's late goal at The Valley potentially set to be a crucial one come the end of the season.
With two home games against potential playoff rivals Northampton and Barnsley set to be played within the space of four days, this could be a pivotal moment in Oxford's season as they look to return to the second tier for the first time since 1999.
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Northampton, meanwhile, have bounced between the third and fourth tiers ever since suffering successive relegations in 1966 and 1967. The Cobblers secured their fifth promotion from the fourth tier since the turn of the century under John Brady last season.
Their last campaign at this level ended at the first attempt in 2020-21, but that will almost certainly not be the case this time around. Their 1-1 draw against Wigan Athletic on Saturday saw them remain in ninth position, with 37 points from 26 games.
As such, Brady's side are considerably closer to the top six than the relegation zone, even if mounting a push for the playoffs may prove beyond them given the gap and quality of sides in front of them. Given that they have not finished in the top half of League One since coming ninth in 2007-08, maintaining their current position would represent a major achievement for them.
However, if they can spring a surprise against Oxford and drag a rival closer to them in the process, their wildest dreams will become much more realistic. With only four wins on the road to their name this season, that is a clear area of improvement for Northampton to work on, with no better place to start than the Kassam Stadium on Saturday.
Team News
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Oxford welcomed Greg Leigh back to the first-team fold against Carlisle on Saturday. The left-back had not featured since injuring his calf for Jamaica on international duty in late November, but he was Buckingham's only change with around 20 minutes remaining at Brunton Park.
However, Josh Murphy and Sam Long are expected to miss out through their own injuries once again, while Tyler Burey and Jamie Cumming are still awaiting making their debuts after joining earlier this month.
Northampton, meanwhile, made an enforced change against Wigan by bringing goalkeeper Lee Burge into the side. This came after Max Thompson returned to Newcastle United following his loan spell, but Burge was unable to keep a clean sheet against the Latics.
Brady could bring Louis Appere in from the start against Oxford in place of Tyreece Simpson. Appere replaced Simpson after 72 minutes against Wigan.
Oxford United possible starting lineup:
Cumming; Smyth, Moore, Brown; Stevens, McGuane, Goodrham, Bennett; Rodrigues, Brannagan; Harris
Northampton Town possible starting lineup:
Burge; McGowan, Willis, Guthrie, Brough; Mcwilliams, Leonard; Bowie, Pinnock, Hoskins; Appere
We say: Oxford United 2-1 Northampton Town
Oxford have rediscovered their form from earlier in the season under Buckingham, and they always carry a significant threat in attack. Northampton are a more solid outfit and will provide stubborn resistance.
However, we expect Oxford's quality to shine through in the end, even if they may have to be patient to find a winner. Doing so would be a big step towards finishing inside the top six, while making a serious dent in their opponents' aspirations of achieving similar.
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Top tip
Brett Curtis
