OXFORD United must try again on Tuesday after their FA Carlsberg Trophy second-round tie at home to York City fell victim to the weather.

This week's severe frosts left local referee John Busby with no option but to call the match off when he conducted a pitch inspection at the Kassam Stadium yesterday afternoon.

The pitch was white and rock hard, and with no prospect of it thawing, as temperatures were again predicted to plummet overnight.

The match will now be played on Tuesday, kick-off 7.45pm, weather permitting.

It was the second successive Saturday that the U's were left kicking their heels, following the late postponement of last weekend's Blue Square Premier game at Eastbourne through a frozen pitch.

Busby, a National List assistant who runs the line at Football League matches, said: "I've looked at the pitch and at different areas of it, but it's solid and unsafe.

"The forecast is for it to be between -4 and -6 overnight, and even on Saturday morning the temperature was expected to be between -1 and -4 so it would have no chance to thaw."

Oxford United groundsman Nick Baldwin said: "It was definitely the right decision. It's been a difficult week with some very low temperatures.

"We could now have home matches here Tuesday, Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday."

That would depend, however, on Tuesday's tie not going to a replay, which would then have to be played on the following Tuesday, January 20, which in turn would mean the league game at home to Forest Green having to be put back.

United general manager and secretary Mick Brown said: "We are confident of being able to play the York game on Tuesday. The forecasts is for the temperature to lift considerably.

"It will probably be a slightly smaller crowd than we would have got because children generally can't come to night matches, but it's not a significant number."

Tickets purchased for the original date are still valid. Supporters with tickets for today who are no longer able to attend can obtain a refund from the club provided the tickets are returned before kick-off on Tuesday.