STRIKER Steve Basham showed another glimpse of the ability Oxford United thought he possessed when they signed him ten months ago with two superbly-taken goals against York.

And they may just have done enough to earn him a new deal.

Basham is one of the out-of-contract players at the club who has been uncertain of his future.

His form has dipped since the start of the year, but Ian Atkins said that was because he had never really been fit.

"Today is probably the fittest we've had Steve Basham all season," Atkins said. "He came here five days before the season started and wasn't fit, played three games and pulled a hamstring.

"We had to put him in very early for the Villa game, because we were short of bodies, and he's never been totally fit."

Asked whether he'd like to keep him, Atkins replied: "He scores goals and that's basically why I brought him in here. "He's come in and performed well, when he hasn't been 100 per cent fit."

Basham, David Oldfield, Bobby Ford and Roy Hunter are no longer contracted to the club.

Atkins admitted: "Four contracts end today, so as from midnight they're not getting paid.

"If contracts end on May 31, you've got a month to play with, but some of them finished today and we wouldn't do that again. Non-league clubs operate like that, but not league clubs.

"The players are in on Tuesday, but if those whose contracts have finished don't want to turn up on Tuesday they don't need to by rights, because they're not being paid."