One last effort – that’s what Chris Wilder will be asking of his players in their final away game of the season at Burton tomorrow night when only a win against the champions-elect will do.

“It will be a proper game of football,” he said. “ There will be a good atmosphere from both sets of fans and it is a meaningful game.

“It’s a game that any sort of player would relish playing in.

“I know we are capable of winning and giving a performance full of honesty, spirit and endeavour.

“The players have done that throughout the last three months and we will give it everything we have again.”

And Oxford United have history on their side for a change.

They have only played at Burton’s Pirelli Stadium twice – and won 2-1 on both occasions.

Two seasons ago it was a Rob Duffy double which did the trick, the U’s fighting back after Daryl Clare had put the Brewers ahead.

And last season, with the fixture again being played in August, though that time on a Sunday, Oxford repeated the trick, with Gary Twigg and Yemi Odubade finding the net in another 2-1 comeback victory, again after Clare had opened the scoring for Burton.

There will be no Clare for the Brewers this time. He’s at Mansfield after spending most of the season with Rush-den, having turned down the chance to join Oxford last summer because the travelling from his home would have been too much.

No-one in Oxford is complaining about that now, however, because United instead got James Constable, and he’s been a revelation.

Oxford need awin tonight, and against Northwich at the Kassam Stadium on Sunday week, and also hope that two out of Torquay, Kidderminster, Stevenage or Histon drop points, if they are to reach the play-offs.

But they’ve been playing catch-up all season, and it hasn’t troubled them.

And Burton may feel under some pressure to get the point they need, after being so close to it at Kidderminster on Monday when they led at half-time, and were level at 1-1 after 80 minutes.

“We have missed out on a great opportunity today.” That was the reaction of boss Roy McFarland to his team being just ten minutes away from clinching promotion to the Football League.

Lee Morris had given Albion the lead in first-half stoppage time and despite being pegged back by Matt Barnes-Homer’s equaliser in the 68th minute, Albion still looked destined for promotion.

Then Brian Smikle popped up with an 80th minute winner for the promotion-chasing Harriers.

McFarland was clearly disappointed that his side had not seen the job through.

“It would have been nice to have won it today,” he said.

“We had the chance to do it after a good 45 minutes coming in 1-0 up right on half-time which was tremendous. For me, Kidderminster had two shots on our goal and ended up winning 2-1. It was two sloppy goals from us as well.

“Even at 1-1, we were fairly happy but then we conceded another sloppy goal.”

“We are at the stage of the season where teams do become a little bit tired. We have got to be stronger and we have got to see it through.”

Oxford will again have a massive following, and while there is bound to be some nervous tension around, that is more likely to come from the home supporters.

l WILL there be another red card in tonight’s televised match?

Blue Square’s betting expert Alan Alger voiced his concern at the number of sendings-off this season in games being shown live on Setanta.

“Is it surprising or worrying that live matches are producing a higher dismisal rate?” he asked.

“Are referees showing off in front of the cameras and if not the men in the middle, are the players themselves changing their game for the cameras?

“Having had the benefit of replays on most of the decisions so far this season, I’m putting most of the blame with the referees.”

James Clarke was sent off in Oxford’s defeat at Barrow in their opening game, and when Setanta showed Wrex-ham v Oxford a fortnight later, there was a very early bath for Luke Foster, who saw red after just 11 minutes.

In recent televised games, United’s Craig Nelthorpe was sent off against Torquay at the Kassam Stadium on February 28, and both Craig Westcarr of Kettering, and Oxford’s Kevin Sandwith, were dismissed in United’s 2-1 victory at Rock-ingham Road in their last screen test on March 19.

United may feel somewhat aggrieved that seven of the nine times they have been selected by Setanta for a live game have been when they are the away side.

But at least there’s no longer a TV jinx on the U’s. They ended that by beating Cam-bridge 3-1 at home on September 23, and good away points at Torquay and Cam-bridge, plus that win at Kettering, have firmly ended such thoughts.