Oxford City general manager Justin Merritt is determined to avoid another embarrassment as his side travel to Wimborne Town in the FA Trophy first round tomorrow.

The last time City came up against opposition from the Evo-Stik Southern League Division 1 South & West was in their shock 2-1 FA Cup defeat at Shortwood United in September.

But after emphatically overcoming lower league opposition in the form of Ryman Premier League Lewes in the previous round, Merritt believes his side have learned their lesson.

“It’s a potential banana skin for us, just like at Shortwood earlier this season,” he said.

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“But we’ve used our experience from that game to avoid a repeat against Lewes and we’ll be looking to do the same this weekend.

“One of the things that make football the game that it is, is that these results get thrown up every once in a while.

“We fully respect Wimborne, they’ve got nothing to lose and they’ll make it difficult for us.

“Nine times out of ten we would expect to go there and win, but we have to make sure our performance levels are good enough.”

Tomorrow’s match will be City’s first in a fortnight, since the 6-1 drubbing of Lewes in the previous round, but Merritt feels the break has done his players a lot of good.

He said: “We’ve not given anyone a day off throughout the season because the games have been coming thick and fast, so we gave them a little time off.

“When you have four or five training sessions but no game to work towards it can be difficult.

“Judging from the atmosphere in training this week it’s been really well received and everyone is back and refreshed.”

However, City will be without captain Darren Mullings with a thigh problem, while Marlon Jackson is also out (ankle injury).

TOMORROW’S SQUAD

Oxford City (v Wimborne Tn, away): from Salva, Scott, Henderson, Stonehouse, Del Alamo, Lapoujade, Santiago, Isaac, Pond, Rodriguez, Winters, Yussuf, Barcelos, Brown, Wilson, Benjamin, Insa, Fofana.

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