SIMON Clist can’t wait to get going against Barrow today when he will make his long-awaited Oxford United debut.

The left-footed midfielder, signed on deadline day from Forest Green Rovers, has seen his planned first appearance for the club, at Kettering, twice postponed.

But the game against Barrow at the Kassam Stadium today should definitely go ahead, and for the former Bristol City, Torquay and Barnet player, that means a debut in front of a sizeable crowd.

“It’s been quite frustrating. I’m really looking forward to getting that first game under my belt and it’ll be nice to make my debut at home.”

At least there has been the opportunity for him to get to know his new teammates better.

“Training’s been nice and light-hearted, it’s been good,” he said.

The U’s are full of confidence as they bid for a fifth successive home win, and with seemingly more difficult matches coming up, at York and against Mansfield and Torquay, this is one the U’s badly need to win to maintain their play-off ambitions.

But manager Chris Wilder said: “It has to be game by game.

“You can’t look too far ahead, because if you do that, you’ll take your eye off the ball.”

Wilder himself has been amused at the way the south has had some of the country’s worst weather.

At his old club Halifax,snow was a common occurrence in winter.

“I’m from the north and have been expecting bad weather there,” he chuckled. “But I was there last week and it’s been fine, they even fitted a game of cricket in up there.”

With 19 points from the last 21, United are in good form under the new boss. But Wilder says it’s too early to judge what he’s managed so far.

"I haven't achieved anything. Yet,” he said. “I won't sit back and say I've started well because it's not about me. It's all about the players."

United have the boost of taking on a Barrow side who will be without the two players who take all their set pieces.

Left back Carlos Logan, the Bluebirds’ best corner taker and who delivers the majority of their set pieces, is suspended. He was due to complete his ban in midweek, but Barrow’s Setanta Shield tie against AFC Telford United was called off.

And also suspended is midfielder Mark Boyd,.

Barrow’s joint managers Dave Bayliss and Darren Sheridan, were hoping to bring someone to fill the void.

Both player-managers could feature against the U’s because they are so short on numbers with injuries and suspensions.

Sheridan is 41 but is still a quality passer. His last game was against York on January 17 and he has been troubled by a bad back since then. Bayliss is likely to be on the bench.

Wilder’s main selection dilemma will probably be whether to stick by his three-pronged attack of recent games, with James Constable, who returns from suspension, flanked by Craig Nelthorpe on the left and either Lewis Haldane or Yemi Odubade on the right, or to go with both Constable and new signing Craig Farrell up front.

Oxford Utd: (from) Turley, Batt, Willmott, Foster, Carruthers, Chapman, Murray, Clist, Haldane, Constable, Nelthorpe, Odubade, Farrell, Hinchliffe, Burnell, Hutchinson, Clarke, Day.

AFC Barrow: (from) Martin, Holness, Jones, McNulty, Kerr, Brown, McGill, Bond, Sheridan, Walker, Tait, Deasy, Henney, Rogan, Bayliss, Gay.