Oxford United's players are out for revenge tonight as they bid to beat the team that broke their hearts in May.

Exeter City visit the Kassam Stadium with the U's desperate for three Blue Square Premier points to erase the painful memory of their penalty shoot-out defeat by the Grecians which knocked them out of the play-offs and ended their Wembley dream.

The match also sees the return to the Kassam Stadium of popular striker Steve Basham.

Basham was released by United at the end of last season and has endured a frustrating time at his new club, spending the season on the substitute's bench.

However, the striker is desperate to say a proper thank-you to the United fans.

"The Oxford fans were nothing short of sensational," he said.

"You need the fans behind you and their support made me feel special every time I went out there.

"Hopefully I can say a proper thank-you."

Captain Barry Quinn says the points are the most important thing tonight, especially after the U's were held at home by Halifax on Saturday.

"We have to learn from what happened on Saturday and take the positives out of it," Quinn said.

"Against our main rivals at home, these are the games we must win.

Quinn added: "I know Bash well, he's a good lad and a good friend as well. It will be nice to see him back."

New signing Paul Shaw is expected to line up alongside Rob Duffy again in United's attack, but Eddie Hutchinson is still ruled out by his hamstring strain.

Arthur Gnohere returns to the squad following injury.

United are in tenth place, one position below Exeter, and manager Jim Smith has left his players in little doubt about the importance of returning to winning ways after drawing their last two fixtures.

"Having drawn on Saturday, we now have to win this next one because that keeps that percentage of two points per game, which is what you need to maintain throughout the season," he said.

Smith said there could be "a couple of little changes" this evening, and the midfield looks the area he is most likely to tinker with.

Exeter manager Paul Tisdale is warning his players to completely forget last season's play-off semi-finals.

"We'll be doing our level best not to think about what happened last season because it's a new season and a different situation," he said.

"That was a fantastic day, but it's gone now."

Oxford Utd: (from) Turley, Corcoran, Quinn, Day, Anaclet, Rose, Pettefer, Trainer, Jeannin, Duffy, Shaw, Odubade, Tardif, Standing, Robinson, Foster, Gnohere.

Exeter City: (from) Marriott, Friend, Taylor, Edwards, Tully, Gill, Artus, Moxey, Stansfield, Logan, Mackie, Elam, Richardson, Cozic, Basham, Jones.