RYAN Clarke is well aware even many die-hard supporters will disagree, but the goalkeeper believes Oxford United can still achieve promotion this season.

It is a bold statement to make about a side which has not been higher than 15th this season and has only won back-to-back league games once this term.

But Clarke was adamant the side have both the quality and the time left in the season to mount a challenge when asked what the target was between now and May.

He said: “Promotion, absolutely, why not?

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“We know what the league’s like.

“I know probably people will raise a few eyebrows but if you win three or four games on the trot you’re right back in the mix.

“You’ve got to be positive, we’re playing some good stuff and we got a good result away from home.

“We know we’ve got it in us to get three or four wins on the trot.”

There will be plenty of supporters heading to watch the home game against Southend United tomorrow saying the side’s attention should be more on the six-point difference between United and the bottom two, rather than the ten-point gap to the play-off places.

Clarke, the longest-serving member of the existing squad, knows talk is cheap.

But the 32-year-old only has to look back 12 months for a case study to prove it can be done.

“It’s alright saying it, we have to do it, but why not?,” he said.

“You’ve got to expect positive things and that’s what I look at.

“Look at York last year, who had a really bad first half of the season, went on a run and we can use that as inspiration for ourselves.”

At the same stage last season, York had collected one fewer point than United have now – and were also ten points adrift of the top seven.

They managed to gatecrash the play-offs, but it took a 17-game unbeaten run, which included a six-match winning streak, to get them there.

Crewe Alexandra staged a similar awakening two seasons earlier, albeit from not quite so far back.

For United to emulate them they will need to find the accelerator pedal – and fast.

Wins are required, especially at the Kassam Stadium, where recent games have seen old tensions reappear.

After making his 250th start for United in the goalless draw at Dagenham & Redbridge last weekend, Clarke knows all too well about the issues on home soil.

He said: “We’re a confident bunch of lads and with everyone behind us hopefully they can see that as well.

“We do all need to be in it together and I think that’s the main thing, especially at the home games.

“If we go 1-0 down so what?

“It’s going to happen in football, but everyone needs to get behind us and not get on our backs.

“We want everyone to be positive and that’s what I want, promotion.”

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