UNITED are looking to get straight back into the groove as they return to the bread-and-butter of their league campaign at Gravesend tomorrow.

As always, the FA Cup was a welcome distraction, but having seen how Wycombe were then drawn away to Stockport County in the next round (and Oxford had been allocated the same number even if they had won), maybe it wasn't such a bad thing for their prospects of taking the Conference title that they didn't force a replay at Adams Park.

Too many cup games can hamper you in the league, with the injuries and suspensions that follow.

Now United's focus is simply, and entirely, on taking that top spot.

It will also be an advantage that their game against Stevenage on December 2 (FA Cup second round day) is now on, Borough having lost at Wrexham.

Tomorrow's opponents Gravesend & Northfleet have suffered three straight defeats, losing somewhat embarrassingly at Chelmsford in the FA Cup fourth qualifying round, and then at Morecambe and Cambridge in the Conference.

But they should not be taken lightly because in Charlie MacDonald, they have the league's 13-goal top scorer.

MacDonald, 25, is quick, sharp around the box, and a clever player, according to reports. He will be a real danger man to the U's defence.

He played a handful of Premiership games for nearby Charlton Athletic, and is one of several ex-Valiants players in Gravesend's side.

Another is striker Onome Sodje, one of the big Sodje footballing family, and another is midfielder Stacy Long, a player with an outstanding pedigree, who has missed a lot of the season through injury.

Long, who played for England at U15, U16, U17 and U18 level, was in the same England Under 17 squad as players like Wayne Rooney.

Last season he was at Notts County and was in County's squad when they drew 0-0 at Oxford.

Yet another former Charlton, and Notts County player, is midfielder Mark De Bolla, but he is rated doubtful because of an ankle injury.

Gravesend's home form isn't bad, with just two defeats at their Stonebridge Road ground, but they have suffered two big defeats this season, crashing 6-1 at neighbouring Grays, and also going down, surprisingly, 4-1 at home to Stafford.

They have two former Oxford United players in their team - Robert Quinn and Paul McCarthy - but only Irish defender McCarthy stands a chance of playing tomorrow because Quinn is suspended.

There's an injury doubt too over McCarthy, who missed last Saturday's 3-0 defeat at Cambridge.

Gravesend & Northfleet are one of the clubs United used to meet regularly in their Southern League days.

But United are unlikely to repeat the scores the last time the clubs met, in the 1961-2 season.

In that campaign, when United went on to win the Southern Division Premier Division, they beat Gravesend & Northfleet 8-0 at home - Alan Willey notching four goals - and 6-0 away. where Graham Atkinson helped himself to a hat-trick.

They also hit eight against them the game before, hammering Gravesend 8-2 at home, thanks in part to a Bud Houghton hat-trick.