TIM Rumford hopes Oxford RL can build upon their positive performance at York City Knights when they take on Rochdale Hornets today (3).

The Blues were within a try of beating second-placed Knights last weekend, but ultimately went down 36-26 for a sixth-straight defeat in Kingstone Press League 1.

Oxford will play their last match at Hemel Stags’s Pennine Way this afternoon, which has acted as a temporary base during pitch maintenance at Iffley Road.

And head coach Rumford is in high spirits after Sunday’s display in Yorkshire.

He said: “The boys pulled out a real performance of desire and passion, I’m really, really pleased.

“It’s another tough game, but if we get the same level of application, passion and really play for each other, who knows what can happen.

“It’s not an impossible feat for a northern team to fall to a southern team.

“Although there is a big gulf, we’ve got to tell our boys to take each game as it comes.”

Centre Josh Nathaniel (hamstring) and forward Jordan Andrade (calf) are doubts for Oxford.