SAM Long reckons choosing between Oxford United’s goalkeepers could well have been Karl Robinson’s toughest call this season.

The U’s head coach opted for Jack Stevens instead of Simon Eastwood at Morecambe on Tuesday, saying he would keep the reasons for the decision internal.

The two stoppers have played a similar number of games this season, although that is partly because Stevens missed three months with Glandular fever.

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Whether the 24-year-old remains in goal for tomorrow’s visit of Sunderland remains to be seen, but Long insists it makes no difference who is playing behind him.

The defender said: “Both of them are just as good as each other.

“Jack’s on the start of his journey, you could say Easty is more towards the end – he’s nowhere near finished by any stretch of the imagination, but he’s a lot more experienced.

“We’re very lucky here to have two very good goalkeepers and on their day you wouldn’t see a difference.

“That’s probably been the hardest decision the gaffer’s had to make this year.”

Eastwood played the three games before the defeat at Morecambe and has made 21 appearances this season, compared to Stevens’ 25.

The pair have lined-up behind a variety of defences and Tuesday’s back four of Ryan Williams, Luke McNally, Long and Ciaron Brown was the club’s 18th different combination in 41 Sky Bet League One games.

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Last season was very different, with Long, Elliott Moore, Rob Atkinson and Josh Ruffels playing more minutes than virtually anyone else.

The 27-year-old admits this has had an effect, but the target remains the same.

Long said: “You could see with such a settled back four last year we picked up so many good results, keeping teams at bay and chipping in with goals ourselves.

“You could say it’s been quite tough this year with the amount of different scenarios we’ve had at the back, but we’re all professionals.

“We know how to play the game and don’t use that as an excuse.

“We turn out every game hoping to get a clean sheet, we play a way that leaves us susceptible at the back but nine times out of ten this season it’s worked.

“People enjoy watching us play and we want to get promoted playing that way.”