Former York City striker Craig Farrell has warned his old team to beware of Oxford United’s rampaging full backs at Wembley.

The ex-Leeds United trainee, who was on-loan at Oxford at the end of last season, felt Damian Batt and Anthony Tonkin were the key players as Chris Wilder’s side completed a 3-1 Blue Square Premier play-off semi-final victory over Farrell’s Rushden & Diamonds on Monday.

That win set up a mouth-watering meeting with the Minstermen on May 16 to decide which team reclaims their Football League status.

And Farrell believes containing right-back Batt and Tonkin on the opposite flank could prove the key to success for Martin Foyle’s team.

He said: “Oxford obviously look at James Constable to score goals and he has done over the last two seasons.

“But they are also a big strong unit with first-class full backs in Damien Batt and Anthony Tonkin.

“They get up and down constantly and are the main reasons why we struggled.

“We played a 4-3-3 formation and their full-backs forced our wide men back, leaving myself or Jefferson Louis isolated up front.

“They are a big outlet for them.”