It's the Big One - Part II

The Hatters take on league leaders Oxford United at Kenilworth Road as the two pre-season title favourites go head-to-head in the Blue Square Premier tonight.

Oxford enjoyed a barnstorming start to the season while the Town, in truth, have yet to hit top gear.

Will that all change tonight?

The U's are currently top of the pile, albeit on goal difference, while the Hatters lie in seventh spot, 11 points behind Chris Wilder's men.

Hatters home form has been a cause for concern but a big game under the Kenilworth Road floodlights in front of full house will be a different story altogether.

It promises to be a fascinating evening's entertainment at the old ground.

Bring on 7.45.

FROM BOTH CAMPS:

Richard Money:  "If anyone thinks tomorrow's game will be more difficult than Barrow away then they are sadly mistaken. That's the way we feel. It's a home game and we've been patchy on our own turf and we need to put it right. Whether it's Oxford at home or Forest Green at home - they are all big games. Oxford's record is still pretty good. They're a good team and we have got to be at our very best to beat them."

 Watch the whole of the gaffer's pre-match press conference ONLY on Player, here.

Chris Wilder: "Luton is a big game for both clubs but we will approach it the right way. We are top of the league going into the match and want it to stay that way. James Constablewill be a big miss for us, and I think he was desperately unlucky to get booked on Saturday. It is going to be a great atmosphere and provided the referee makes the right decisions and is consistent, the two teams get on with playing football and the two sets of fans keep shouting their team forward for the whole ninety minutes I'm sure we will have a fantastic occasion."

TEAM NEWS:

Hatters: On the injury front the Town expect Claude Gnakpa to recover from the knock that meant he needed to be withdrawn at Barrow while striker Matthew Barnes-Homer could be involved after recovering from illness. d Asafu-Adjaye could return to the squad after training on Monday but Kevin Gallen, Shane Blackett, Lewis Emanuel and Ryan Charles are all out. Liam Hatch and Mark Tyler suffered no ill effects from playing 90 minutes on Saturday and are in line to retain their places in the side.

Oxford: Chris Wilder will be without captain Adam Murray and top goalscorer James Constable. Murray is still struggling with a slight back problem, while Constable will miss the trip to Kenilworth Road after picking up his tenth booking of the season during Saturday's 0-0 draw with Kidderminster. Chris Hargreaves could be in line to replace Murray while Wilder must choose between Francis Green, Jamie Cook, Jack Midson and Matt Green to replace Constable.

OXFORD IN FOCUS

Nickname: The U's

Manager: Chris Wilder

Ground: Kassam Stadium

Last season: Conference 7th

2008/09 average attendance: 4,879

Pre 2009/10 title odds: 4/1

Previousmeetings:

Luton wins: 13

Oxford wins: 11

Draws: 7

In the head-to-head record between the two sides the Hatters hold a narrow advantage with 13 wins to 11.

We have met 26 times in the Football League, winning 11, drawing six and losing nine. The Town's last meeting was at the Kassam Stadium on Boxing Day 2001 winning 2-1 with goals from Dean Crowe and Matthew Spring.

We have also met the U's in the Littlewoods Cup semi-final of 1987/88, the Worthington Cup in 1998/99 and the Auto Windscreens Shield in 1999/2000.

During the 1987/88 campaign the two sides met in the old First Division with the Town coming out on top in both games in which 18 goals were scored in the 7-4 and 5-2 victories.

Apart from this we have met in numerous friendlies over the years as well as the Metropolitan League in the 1950's when Oxford were still known as Headington United.

Recent history:

Oxford, like the Hatters, will be one of just two sides in the Blue Square Premier next season who have played at the top level of English football and to have won a major trophy (not including AFC Wimbledon).

The U's climb to the then First Division started when the club won back-to-back league titles in the early 1980s.

Firstly lifting the Division Three title in 1983/84 before adding the Division Two title the following season.

A season passed in the First Division before the U's were winning silverware again - this time adding the Milk (League) Cup to their trophy cabinet in 1986 following a Wembley victory over Queens Park Rangers.

After battling relegation from the top flight for several seasons the club finally succumbed to the drop to the Second Division in 1987/88.

Relegation followed in 1993/94 from what was then called Division One (today's Championship) but bounced back to second tier with promotion in 1994/95 under the stewardship of Denis Smith.

However, the U's found themselves back in the third tier with a relegation in 1998/99.

Oxford lasted just two seasons in Division Two before their relegation along with the Hatters during a disastrous 2000/01 campaign in which they conceded 100 goals which meant demotion to the league's basement division.

A bad first season in Division Three - that marked the club's first at their new Kassam Stadium home - was followed by two campaigns where the U's missed out on the promotion play-offs.

However, the 2005/06 saw them relegated on the final day of the season following a 3-2 defeat to Leyton Orient at the Kassam Stadium.

It meant the 2006/07 the U's had to start life outside of the Football League. An unbeaten run at the beginning of the campaign looked as thought it had secured them an immediate return to the Football League but a loss of form saw them pipped to the title by Dagenham & Redbridge and they lost in the play-off semi-finals to Exeter City.

A mid-table finish in 2007/08 was followed by last season's seventh place finish in the Blue Square Premier where they landed up finishing four points off the play-offs.

It meant the U's were made to rue the fielding of an unregistered player during the campaign as they were deducted five points by the Conference as punishment.

FACT: The Oxford crest reflects the name and history of the city. Oxford was originally a market town situated near to a ford on the River Isis, which was used by cattle. The representation of the ox above a ford to symbolises this.

Official website: www.oufc.co.uk

LIVE & ONLINE: Can't get to the game? Remember lutontown.co.uk will have all the action as it unfolds. Hatters Player will have live commentary plus all the reaction after the final whistle.

TICKETS: If you haven't got your ticket already then hurry up! We're stopping selling at 4pm. Get down to the ticket office to get your seat now.

WANNA BET? Our official online bookmakers bet365 have priced the Town at 11/8 to win this evening. For more information click here.