Chris Wilder is confident his Oxford United team have the players to handle the big occasion.

They have proved that already this season, he says.

As the U’s prepare for a nail-biting two-legged play-off semi-final against Rushden, starting at Nene Park tonight, the manager says his team will need to be at the top of their game, but he believes in them.

“In these games you’ve got to play well, you’ve got to take your chances, you’ve got to be tight defensively, because we know in both games the opposition will have a bit of the game, just as we’re going to have a bit of the game.

“It’s about a few different things, but it’s also about who handles the occasion and plays well,” he said.

“I’m comfortable that the big games we’ve played in – the Lutons and Stevenages at home, and Yeovil at home, and going to Luton, Rushden and York, we’ve played well.

“We’ve had positive results in nearly all the big games, the only one was at Stev-enage.

“We’re pretty confident, we’re in good nick, we’re near the top of the form table, and we’ve had decent results against all the play-off contenders so we’ve got to back ourselves.”

Wilder added: “We’re not the type of people to say we’re going to do this, that or the other.

“We know we’ve got a real difficult task ahead of us, but we know as well we’re a confident bunch and I’ve got great belief in what we have got, and what people can do . . . and the players have got to go and produce it over two legs.”

The league games between the sides were tight, a 1-1 draw at Rushden where United felt they should have had a late penalty late, and a 1-0 win for Oxford at the Kassam Stadium, where Ad-am Chapman converted a penalty.

Midfielder Chapman, who is the man on penalties now for United, looks certain to play in the home second leg, with United now looking good playing their old 4-3-3 system there, but it’s maybe 50/50 whether he’s selected to start in the away first leg tonight.

The former Sheffield United player said all the players are excited and looking forward to the play-offs, not worried about them.

“There’s no point in getting uptight and worried about games like these because these are the ones you want to play in.

“All the boys are confident and ready to go, everyone’s looking forward to them.

“There’s no guarantees (ab-out playing) with the quality of the squad, as we’ve said all season.

“But I’d like to think I’ve done a reasonable job to at least make the manager have a really good look at me.”

Centre back Jake Wright, who has been playing sup-erbly over the last two months, and is a major reason why the team took their clean sheets tally to 24 this season, has seen Rushden close-up three times this campaign.

As well as playing in the two league games, he was on the bench for Brighton & Hove Albion in the League One club’s FA Cup win over Rushden last November.

“They’re a good side, with some good players, and they played very well that day, and were unlucky not to win it,” he recalled. “We got a late winner to sneak home 3-2.”

Diamonds have lost only two of their 21 games since January 19, one of those being that 1-0 defeat to Oxford at the Kassam Stadium.

Oxford United have a huge amount of experience of the play-offs in their squad.

Franny Green, for example, took part in them three consecutive seasons, from 2004-2006.

He said: “I was in the play-offs with Lincoln three times, lost one semi-final and two finals and then I won at the old Wembley with Peterborough.

“When you get a two-legged game, it doesn’t matter who you play. It can be the team in the worst form before the play-offs come into the play-offs and are the best ones there.

“In my experience, normally the team that finished sixth (in the final play-off place in League Two) would go on to do the best over the years.”

Green believes keeping it tight in the away leg will be vital.

“We’ve just got to focus on ourselves, and if we’re on our game, are organised, and we keep our shape, then we’re going to be hard to break down.

“And I fancy us to nick a goal if Greeny’s got his pace, with the ball going over the top, and Beano’s always likely to get a goal because he’s a great finisher.

“If we can keep it solid, we’ve got every chance of getting through these play-offs.”