OXFORD United boss Malcolm Shotton has made an impassioned plea to his strikers for tomorrow's key Division 1 scrap at Port Vale.

"Give us a goal," he implored. "If we score, we'll win games - we just need to score."

Shotton believes there has not been much wrong with United's overall performances in the last few games, apart from the failure to find the net.

"We've hit the woodwork, had efforts cleared off the line and missed one-against-ones, but if you don't score goals you don't win games.

"On a percentage basis, we've battered teams the last three games, that's what is so frustrating. We have probably had 90 per cent of the games but since Dean Windass left, we've not had anyone sticking the ball in the net."

Some fans have suggested that Shotton was wrong to let Windass go to Bradford for £950,000, but United's manager reiterated that keeping him was not an option.

"If we hadn't sold Deano, we wouldn't have been paid and the club couldn't have continued. Also, he had made it quite clear to Maurice Evans that he wanted to leave and didn't want to play for us again.

"Yes, he was scoring goals, but there was only one option open to the board." Since Windass hit his 17th and 18th goals of the season in the 2-0 local derby win over Swindon, United have managed just eight goals in 11 games and have failed to score in three successive home matches.

"Everyone knows how important this game is, all the players know what it means so, if anything, we've been trying to keep it low key and not hype things up," Shotton said.

Vale will have Chris Allen, who scored on his debut in a 1-1 draw with Stockport, on the left of midfield but they are without their other former United player, nine-goal top scorer Martin Foyle, who is suspended.

Horton looks set to bring back Marcus Bent to partner on-loan Aston Villa striker Alan Lee, who scored against Bradford in midweek.

"I signed five players on transfer deadline day but with the injuries and suspensions we've had, it's a good job I did," Horton said.

"Oxford have done well on their travels recently," he added. "They won at Sheffield United and drew at Tranmere. Sometimes it can be easier away from home."

Story date: Friday 16 April

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