Oxford United had the luck of the draw again yesterday when they were pull-ed out of the hat to face Blue Square South side Woking at home in the second round of the FA Carlsberg Trophy.

The tie, which sees United facing their former midfielder Jamie Hand, will take place at the Kassam Stadium on Saturday, January 9.

Remarkably, manager Chris Wilder has had five successive rounds of cup competitions at home.

The U’s were pitted with York at home in the second round of the FA Trophy last season, just a fortnight after he took over, and the first three rounds of the FA Cup that United were involved in this season – against Thurrock, Yeovil and Barrow – were also at home.

United did go on to get an away tie at Sunderland in the third round of the FA Cup, yet they never got that far, losing their replay at Barrow.

Oxford have never progressed beyond the second round of the Trophy, and if they are to do it at the first time of asking this season, they will need to find a way past Woking’s defence, which they have never before managed at the Kassam Stadium.

In each of the last three seasons, the league games in Oxford have finished goalless, with one of the clashes, the Boxing Day 2006 fixture that attracted a record crowd for the Conference of 11,065.

Woking were relegated last season, but they have regrouped impressively, and are currently third in their league.

They beat Blue Square Premier side Forest Green Rovers 1-0 at their Kingsmeadow Stadium in the FA Trophy first round on Saturday.

Oxford’s promotion rivals Stevenage Borough, the FA Trophy holders, were also handed a good draw – at home to Blue Square North strugglers Vauxhall Motors, who were given a walk-over in the last round when Kings Lynn went out of existence.

The winners will receive £6,000.

l U’s hospital visit: Page 2