Impressive performances against two top sides this week has given Oxford United’s players belief automatic promotion is still within their grasp.

The U’s beat npower League Two leaders Swindon Town 2-0 last Saturday, while Shrewsbury Town needed a goal in injury time to claim a 2-2 draw on Tuesday night.

It leaves United in seventh place, eight points adrift of the top three with 12 matches remaining, but with a game in hand.

Of the promotion contenders, only Swindon and Torquay have picked up more points than the U’s in the last eight games.

With a run of one defeat since November, manager Chris Wilder thinks there is a chance for his side to gatecrash the top three during the run-in as rivals begin to feel the heat.

And this week’s two results have given the players added confidence.

“I think it’s been a big week for us, we’ve closed the gap, but we’ve got a big belief that we’re still in this, in terms of automatic promotion,” he said.

“While teams below us will be saying ‘crank the pressure up on Oxford’ we’ve had one defeat in 15.

“The players have not really shown any signs that pressure is creeping in, especially over the last two games and the injuries that we’ve had.

“I think there are teams above us that have shown signs of it, and we’ve got to make sure that we get enough points so if one of the teams above us slips up we’re ready to pounce.

“Why can’t it be us? Torquay are on a great run and Shrewsbury are picking up points, but I think on current form our record is up there.”

Dean Morgan will come straight into the squad after signing on loan and will replace Mehdi Kerrouche, whose loan expires after the game.

Despite the arrival of the Chesterfield forward, Scott Rendell is expected to again lead United’s front line with top-scorer James Constable serving the second of a three-game ban.

It is also the final game of Lee Holmes’s loan, but United are in talks about extending his stay for at least another month.

The Bantams, languishing in 18th place, will be without Deane Smalley, who is on loan from the U’s and is ineligible to play against his parent club.

Bradford City: from McLaughlin, Kozluk, Oliver, Davies, Seip, Atkinson, Bullock, Reid, Wells, Hanson, Syers, Ramsden, Haworth, Annerson, Fry, Jones, Hannah.

Oxford Utd: from Clarke, Batt, Duberry, Wright, Tonkin, Chapman, Hall, Whing, Johnson, Rendell, Holmes, Morgan, Brown, Worley, Davis, Marsh, Wilson.

l PORT Vale yesterday went into administration and have been deducted ten points.