JOHNNY Mullins says Oxford United are relishing the opportunity to follow up victory at Bury by taking down another promotion hopeful this afternoon.

Plymouth Argyle visit the Kassam Stadium in the first of back-to-back home games for the U’s in tfour days.

Michael Appleton’s men claimed arguably their best result of the season a week ago with a hard-fought 1-0 win at Gigg Lane.

Bury slipped to sixth place as a result, just ahead of the Pilgrims.

  • Latest United news:

United have not been consistent enough to figure in the promotion shake-up, but Mullins views it as another chance to show their capabilities.

“We want to pit ourselves against the best,” he said.

“This season we haven’t reached the heights we wanted to, but we still want to beat the best teams and show we have quality players who can match them.

“We did that against Bury, Plymouth are up there and we want to beat them as well.”

Many of United’s problems this season stem from a home record which has seen them win just five of 17 games.

Mullins admitted while the mood in the camp was buoyant after a four-game unbeaten run, they badly need to deliver at the Kassam, where they also host Hartlepool United on Tuesday.

“We need a win to raise everyone, more for those outside of the dressing room, because inside it’s quite positive,” he said. “We just want that feeling to spill out to everyone.

“We’ve got a good run behind us and we’ve got to continue that.

“We’ve got a big home game where we have to get the crowd on their feet.

“We want to make the Kassam a bit of a fortress and we’ve got to start on Saturday.

“We could get six points from two home games and that’s what we’re looking for.”

He added: “Plymouth are a strong side and they’ve got their own aspirations, but so have we and we are going into it full of confidence after Bury.

“Hopefully we can recapture that performance and win.”