OXFORD City caretaker manager Mark Jones says the traumas of this season will spur him and the club on to greater achievements as his side travel to Ebbsfleet United tomorrow for their final Vanarama National League South match.

Jones, who took over from Justin Merritt in December following a 6-0 home defeat by Hungerford, admits it’s been a tough season, but is relishing the opportunity to push his side on to better fortunes.

“We all want the club to kick on,” he said. “We just need to keep working hard to improve how we go about things, both on and off the field.”

Jones says he already has one eye on next season, although he cannot say which players are likely to stay at Court Place Farm for the 2017-18 season.

“I’m not really in a position to say who is staying or leaving,” he said.

“All I can say is there is a lot going on behind the scenes and we will sit down with everyone next week, take stock and make some decisions.

“I’m still waiting on a few decisions from within the club, things like budgets for next season. I’d love to be in a position to be ahead of the game and know all our plans for next year, but the truth is, I’m not.”

City have had a tough year off the field, following the tragic death of managing director Colin Taylor in pre-season, and were issued with a winding-up order just after the season began.

Jones, who has made no secret of the fact he wants the job full-time, says that it’s testament to the hard-working volunteers that they’ve finished the season so well.

“Overall, we can be pretty satisfied with the season on the pitch,” he said.

“We’ve managed to achieve what we set out to do, which was to stay in the division.

“The year has been a traumatic one in many ways. I think we need that to recharge the batteries, but we’ll come back stronger and raring to go.”

Jones names an unchanged squad for the trip to Ebbsfleet tomorrow as they look to wrap up their season with a fourth straight win.

Their hosts will lift the title with a win if leaders Maidenhead drop points at Margate.

“It’ll be tough,” Jones remarked.

“We are going to a team that are second in the table and need to win and hope Maidenhead slip up in order to win the league.

“It’s a great opportunity to show what we are capable of.

"I’d much rather a game like this than a dead rubber in front of not many people.

"It will be a very tough game, but we will to there and play with freedom and enjoy the occasion.”

Oxford City (v Ebbsfleet Utd, away): from Hill, Essuman, Grant, Davies, Henderson, Demuria, Carvalho, Fleet, Ford, Anderson, Poku, Abiola-Daramola, Furlong, Louis, Peake-Pijnen, Ngathe, Piatt, Tutton, Khawaja.