Marvin Robinson says he is determined to make up for lost time by playing his part in Oxford United going up this season.

The powerful centre forward tonight gets his second chance to deputise for leading scorer Rob Duffy when the U's visit Halifax Town in the Nationwide Conference - a match which is live on Sky TV.

And he has been boosted by getting off the mark in the league in United's 3-0 win at Altrincham at the weekend.

"That was only my second start since September, in the league," he said. "I played FA Trophy games, but I was rushed back to them, I was trying to speed up my fitness then.

"Obviously I'm catching up," he admitted after finding the back of the net with a header on Saturday.

"But my season starts from today and hopefully next game I can score a couple, if selected."

The former Derby, Lincoln and Macclesfield striker admitted feeling the pressure of having yet to net in the league, although he did score against Halifax in the FA Trophy, when the U's were held at home and then lost in the replay at The Shay.

"It's not pressure from anybody else, it's more personal pressure," he said. "Obviously I've come in and I definitely don't feel I've contributed enough.

"You want to earn the respect of your teammates. I want to score goals and earn their respect and trust, and I didn't really think I'd done that yet.

"The pressure to score and do well, and contribute to Oxford United, comes from within, really."

A fillip for manager Jim Smith at Altrincham was that goals, and a goal threat, came from several departments, the tally of ten shots on target one of their best returns of the season.

"We've all got to chip in," Robinson said. "Centre halves - like Corcs (Mickey Corcoran) did - and Eddie Anaclet, although he missed one chance, he scored and he's getting himself in the box and is a threat more and more each game and each week."

Smith is likely to continue with three at the back if Phil Gilchrist is still struggling with injury, but there's an enforced change in midfield with on-loan Martin Foster unable to face his parent club as he starts a two-game suspension.

Duffy is out because he completes his two-game ban.

Carl Pettefer looks set to replace Martin Foster in midfield.

Smith said: "They knocked us out of the Trophy and it'll be a hard place to go, but our away record is getting on and we've got to continue it to make sure we get into the play-offs.

"If we can pick up three points there, we can put ourselves back on track, but that still means Dagenham have got to do a lot of losing."

Halifax Tn: (probable) Mawson, Haslam, Strong, Cresswell, Wright, Forrest, Kearney, Thompson, Torpey, Stamp, Killeen. Subs: Quinn, Doughty, Billy, Uhlenbeek, Tolson Oxford Utd: (from) Turley, Corcoran, Quinn, L Foster, Gilchrist, Anaclet, Hargreaves, Pettefer, Rose, Johnson, Odubade, Robinson, Burgess, Tardif, Coombes, Day, Brevett.