Oxford United's players have been told that they must go to Altrincham with exactly the right mentality in Sunday's Blue Square Premier clash at Moss Lane (3pm).

Manager Darren Patterson says they have to forget any notion that this is the easier of the two away games this week, and will be urging them to concentrate on playing their own game.

That means forgetting about the importance of winning, and simply focusing on the way they want to play football.

The most pleasing aspect of Thursday night's 1-1 draw at Torquay was the way the players stuck to their instructions to get on the ball, and to try to open up the opposition by passing and moving, rather than hoofing hopeful balls into the box.

And as the two central midfielders, Adam Murray and Joe Burnell, worked hard to retain possession and get the ball out to the flanks, it brought back memories of the successful tactics employed by Denis Smith in the mid 90s.

Patterson said: "When I looked at the week, Sunday's game to me was our toughest game because Altrincham, and ones like that, are where we notoroiously slip up.

"We did it after the Cambridge game with Lewes and we've got to make sure it doesn't happen again.

"We need to regroup and go again, against another in-form team. We've got to have a strong mentality."

If Torquay had been the Blue Square Premier's most in-form side, Altrincham are not far behind.

The part-timers are enjoying a superb run, with Tuesday's 3-1 win at Salisbury making it four wins and a draw from their last five matches.

Lively striker Colin Little has netted in each of the last three games, taking his season's tally to six goals.

Admittedly, in midweek, Salisbury had two players sent off in a very eventful encounter that also saw the ref replaced at half-time.

But they represent just as difficult a test as Torquay.

United's manager, who hopes to be able to name an unchanged line-up, added: "It was a gritty, determined performance at Torquay and we've got to make sure again that we're brave enough to get on the ball, to pass it."

"Our focus is on when we have and haven't got the ball rather than on winning."

Key midfielder Adam Murray said: "We're all really concentrated on Sunday now, and Torquay has gone.

"Being brave on the ball is about knowing we're going to make mistakes, but not worrying about that."

SUNDAY'S SQUADS Altrincham: (from) Coburn, Lane, Young, Danylyk, Doughty, McGregor, Elam, Lawton, Senior, Little, Johnson, Meechan, O'Neill, Peyton, Street, Denham.

Oxford Utd: (from) Turley, Clarke, Quinn, Foster, Carruthers, Haldane, Murray, Burnell, Trainer, Constable, Guy, Odubade, Hutchinson, Willmott, Deering, Hinchliffe.

Adam Murray is the man Oxford United will be looking to for creativity from midfield