Zamaretto Southern League previews

Oxford City boss Mike Ford has warned his younger players to shape up soon, or face the axe from the Premier Division club.

City have not won a league game since January 19 – a run of five matches.

They will be expecting to end that sequence at bottom side Rugby Town tomorrow, but Ford is taking nothing for granted.

He said: “It’s been a tough few weeks, but I’m making no excuses. We can’t blame injuries, suspensions and not getting the rub of the green.

“It’s down to my players to get themselves up for a battle, which many of them are not doing.

“We cannot go to Rugby with complacency just because they are struggling.

“We’ve done that before – produced good results against the higher sides and then struggled against the bottom ones.

“We’ve not been up for the fight, it’s as simple as that. I should not have to motivate the players. They must realise that every tackle, header and pass is important.

“I don’t need to motivate Lee Steele and Dave Savage. That’s why they had successful careers.

“But if I have to keep drumming it into my younger players, that tells me that they have settled as a Southern League footballer and have no ambition.

“That’s no good to me – I want ambitious players here who want to push themselves to the next level. The ball is in their court.”

City have signed young midfielder Harry Harding on loan from Championship side Reading, but James Clarke (thigh) is doubtful.

Didcot Town boss Stuart Peace has hailed his side’s never-say-die attitude ahead of their tough test at home to Farnborough tomorrow.

Didcot beat Hednesford 2-1 last Saturday with a goal in the last minute, and hit back for a draw against Nuneaton on Tuesday, with the equaliser coming in stoppage time.

Peace said: “Our fitness is good, and we are finishing every game strongly.

“We’ve changed our priorities for this season to just stay in the league.

“To do that, we’ve set our stall out to be hard to beat, because we’ve been more defensively minded.

“With our fitness, that gives us the opportunity to pinch something in the last 20 minutes.”

Jordan Tabor (knee) is ruled out of tomorrow’s clash against the runaway leaders, who have lost just once all season.

Nathan Haisley (toe) is doubtful for Banbury United’s trip to Bashley.

Keeper Joe Murrell is suspended, so boss Billy Jeffrey will play new signing Mark Scott, a loan signing from Swindon Town, in goal.

Jeffrey said: “We’ve lost a bit of momentum recently, but we are still playing well enough.

“We just need to shore up defensively, especially from set-pieces.”

In Division 1 South & West, Abingdon United have doubts over defender Tom Franklin (gashed leg) as they host Cinderford Town at Northcourt Road.

North Leigh will look to stretch their unbeaten run to ten games with the visit of Frome Town to Eynsham Park.

TOMORROW’S SQUADS

Oxford City (v Rugby Tn, away): from North, Holt, Ballard, Mead, Gunn, Perpetuini, Davis, Bell, Lyon, Savage, Rowe, Harding, Faulkner, Steele, Douglas.

Didcot Tn (v Farnborough, home): from Trott, Sampson, Stanley, Heapy, John, Alexis, Draycott, Mortimer-Jones, Dutton-Black, Hopkins, Bartley, M Williams, Hills, Williams.

Banbury Utd (v Bashley, away): from Scott, Learoyd, Martin, Milner, Coleman, Stanbridge, Redknap, Ashton, Benjamin, Stone, Taylor, Hillyard, Sharif, Harrison, Haisley.

North Leigh (v Frome Tn, home): from Lonsdale, Hole, Caton, Jackson, Huxley, Dodds, Reardon, Burnell, Futcher, McCabe, Posey, Saunders, Allen, Taylor.

Abingdon Utd (v Cinderford Tn, home): from Beames, Brown, Franklin, Carnell, Organ, Beechers, McCalmon, Melledew, Weedon, Curtin, Dobson, Gordon, Mills, Elkins, Haysham, Hunt.