Justin Merritt has urged his Oxford City charges to re-focus as they look to get back to winning ways at home to Hednesford Town in Vanarama Conference North tomorrow.

The general manager was critical of his side’s display in last weekend’s 2-1 defeat at Lowestoft, but hopes a positive week off the field will reap its reward for his fourth-placed side.

“I was disappointed with the result and display. I thought some of our key players were below par.

“We got ourselves into a winning position (1-0 up) against a team I expected us to beat. No disrespect to Lowestoft, but they are the poorest side I have seen this year.

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“We had so many opportunities to make it 2-1, but we didn’t take them.

“But we had a good management meeting to discuss what we want to do and the players have had a couple of good training sessions,” said Merritt.

“We’ve been trying to energise the players this week. We need to work harder when we don’t have the ball.

“We’re not panicking and are really happy with where we are, but now is the time for us to re-focus.

Meanwhile, Merritt says he hopes to add a new centre half to the squad in time for the Hednesford game.

“He’s been training with us, but there are a couple of other clubs that are interested in signing him.”

Mark Scott is expected to return in goal after missing the Lowestoft game with a shoulder injury.

He was replaced by Nathan Abbey, but Merritt said it was a one-off.

He added: “Scotty got injured last Thursday, but didn’t tell me until Friday, but we knew Nathan and brought him in as an emergency.

“On the way to Lowestoft, Declan Benjamin told me at the motorway services that he couldn’t play as he was feeling ill, so we had to change the team, which was not ideal.”

Merritt has warned his players to ignore 12th-placed Hednesford’s position at their peril.

“They are always a good side,” he said. “They had a slow start because they had a lot of injuries, so it will be a tough game, but we are looking forward to it.”

City will give a fitness test to Ander Del Alamo (ankle).

Oxford City (v Hednesford Tn, home): from Scott, Stonehouse, Pond, Lapoujade, Green, Santiago, Rodriguez, Barcelos, Mullings, Yussuf, Benjamin, Winters, Wilson, Brown, Henderson, Isaac, Hoban, Jackson, Del Alamo.

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