OXFORD City general manager Justin Merritt admitted his side’s Buildbase FA Trophy third qualifying round tie at home to South Park tomorrow is something of a step into the unknown.

This season is only the third time the Ryman League Division 1 South side have featured in the competition and, after coming through four previous rounds, is their best performance to date.

This will be the first meeting between the sides, leaving the City boss in the dark about his Surrey-based opponents.

He said: “I don’t know much about them, in all honesty.

“I’ve spoken to a few people and we’ve done a bit of research on them, but they’re a bit of an unknown to us.

“But in recent weeks we’ve worked so hard on our own game that we’ve not worried about the opposition.”

Winger Shaun MacAuley returns to the side after recovering from flu, while fellow wide man Kynan Isaac is also expected to return after being unavailable last weekend.

While a break from their Vanarama National League South campaign might offer Merritt the opportunity to rest players, after a recent upturn in form, he is reluctant to ring the changes.

“That’s the dilemma I face and I’m not too sure of the answer,” he said.

“On the one hand, we’ve got players who need game time and this is a great opportunity.

“On the other, I’m loathe to interrupt the momentum we’ve built up over the last few weeks.

“There’s a lot of competition in the side and players are desperate to

play.

“Whoever is on the pitch, it’s an opportunity and they have to do the business.”

TOMORROW’S SQUAD

Oxford City (v South Park, home): from Belford, Grant, Poku, Ashby, Henderson, Cundy, Davies, Fleet, Ofosu, Ngathe, Winters, Giles, Fondop, MacAuley, Roberts, Isaac, Louis.