OXFORD City must block out all the uncertainty as they seek to keep their season alive, says David Oldfield.

The Vanarama National League South side visit Notts County on Saturday, as they contest the first Buildbase FA Trophy quarter-final of their 139-year history.

For City, the stakes have been raised by last week’s controversial decision to declare their league campaign null and void.

It leaves Oldfield’s men, who were fourth in National League South, facing the prospect of a promising 2020/21 coming to a premature end at Meadow Lane.

City’s boss said: “It’s certainly a big game for us, there’s no doubt about that.

“It was always going to be a difficult tie, but with all these unknowns it’s as difficult as ever.

“We just need to concentrate and prepare as much as we can.”

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City have co-signed a letter with 17 other National League North and South clubs asking to resume the campaign ‘either separately or as one’.

As it stands, though, they will be unable to build on a nine-match unbeaten run in the division, which raised hopes of a first promotion to the National League.

City have not played since beating Chelmsford City 4-1 on February 13 and Oldfield admits this is a cause of frustration.

“It was a blow to everybody, but we have a big game on Saturday and we’re fortunate enough to focus on that,” he said.

“We certainly could have done with a game.

“There’s no substitute to playing and getting match fitness.”

County are fifth in the National League, which continues after just seven clubs voted for the campaign to end.

It is a repeat fixture of City’s 3-2 Emirates FA Cup second round defeat in December 2017, when Banbury-born Jorge Grant, now at Lincoln City, scored a last-minute winner for the hosts.

Joe Oastler, Zac McEachran and Reece Fleet are the only survivors from that day in Oldfield’s squad, but their manager appreciates its significance.

He said: “We haven’t spoken much about that game, except that it’s a very important part of the club’s recent history.

“The previous group came close, so if we can perform and do ourselves justice then we’ll be okay.”