Ian Atkins is urging his Oxford United players to focus on themselves - and forget what is happening at Lincoln - as they bid to win their final game of the season against York City at the Kassam Stadium on Saturday.

Ian AtkinsThe U's boss has made a cheeky call to Torquay chairman Mike Bateson to check that The Gulls will be giving it their all in their Division 3 game at Sincil Bank, and to tell him about the state of the Lincoln pitch.

Oxford need Torquay to win for the U's to overhaul Lincoln on goal difference and claim the fourth and final play-off spot. But only if United can beat York.

"If we don't focus ourselves on what happens here and what we are trying to achieve out on the pitch - and get three points - the other game is irrelevant anyway," Atkins said.

"I know the Torquay chairman, Mike Bateson, very well anyway and I phoned him up on Wednesday, and said 'you know why I'm calling, I want to ask you a favour', and he said they will want to go out with a bang anyway.

"They are professionals and I would expect them to do a professional job."

Atkins added: "The situation Lincoln are in is a strange one if you've never been in it before, knowing that you only need a point.

"The thing with them, though, is that it doesn't make a difference who they're playing against because they always play the same way: the ball goes 90 yards, you have the long throws going in and that's how they've scored the majority of their goals.

"They have been training on their pitch all week, so it's in an even worse state than before."

Atkins expects to make few changes, although midfielder Dave Savage is rated very doubtful and looks like missing out.

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