Ian Atkins has asked his Oxford United players to show more quality where it counts - in the last third of the pitch - in today's Division 3 game against Swansea City at The Kassam Stadium.

Since Atkins took over from former boss Mark Wright, United have played with more adventure and scored 14 goals in four home matches.

But they failed to really hurt promotion-chasing Shrewsbury as they slipped to a 1-0 defeat at Gay Meadow on Tuesday night, a result which has hampered their slim chances of producing the kind of run they need to reach the play-offs.

"Swansea play a very rigid five at the back and two up front and it will be up to us to break them down," Atkins said.

"I want us to have a bit more quality in the last third. We've done it in five of the seven games I've had, and we'll need that again today.

"We may have to play a patient game, and I hope our fans will help us in that as well.

"For us to do well we need to play a high tempo game, and go not so much backward and square. I'll be urging the players to keep attacking, creating chances and scoring goals which is what, by and large, we have been doing."

Atkins has not given up the ghost on chasing a play-off spot.

"We were unlucky not to get a point at Shrewsbury," he said. "We've got 20 games left and if we can win 13 of them, who knows?"

If United could finish the season with a record of 13-3-4 from their final 20 games, they would reach 72 points and that total has been enough to claim the seventh, and final, play-off place, in each of the last three seasons.

"We'd have to go on a hell of a run, but Kidderminster have won six out of seven. Why can't we? While there's every chance of achieving something, you've got to go for it." The U's may need to give late tests to Andy Scott (hamstring) and Paul Moody (flu). David Morley and Rob Quinn replace the unavailable Matthew Bound and suspended David Savage, and there's speculation that Scott Guyett may take over at right back from Jon Richardson.

The Swans are expected to name a side showing just one change from the line-up which drew 0-0 at home to Lincoln last weekend. Ex-Scarborough striker Steve Brodie is rated doubtful after picking up a hamstring injury.

Oxford Utd: (from) McCaldon, Guyett, Morley, Crosby, Ricketts, Stockley, Whitehead, Quinn, Powell, Moody, Scott, Brooks, Omoyinmi, Thomas, Gray, Hackett, Bolland.

Swansea City: (probable) Freestone, Evans, Sharp, O'Leary, Mumford, Howard, Phillips, Cusack, Coates, Williams, Watkin. Subs from: Todd, Lacey, Casey, Jones, Stirling, Jenkins.